


Cadere A Gratia

by wolfess19



Category: Shall We Date?: Obey Me!
Genre: Alternate Universe - Human, Character Death, Crimes & Criminals, Gen
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2021-01-31
Updated: 2021-03-08
Packaged: 2021-03-17 19:48:28
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death
Chapters: 5
Words: 22,041
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29105850
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/wolfess19/pseuds/wolfess19
Summary: A new story where the brothers start off as Humans before they became Demons upon death - the following chapters will portray each brother's life and the actions they had done that contributed to their sin.(Please note they will be going by human names in this AU - I will mention them in the notes per chapter)
Comments: 3
Kudos: 28





	1. Lucius Danica

**Author's Note:**

> Disclaimer: Obey Me! is copyright of NTT Solmare - I do not own anything other than the story created below
> 
> Warning: May contain abusive / offensive language, gory / violent scenes, graphic depictions of violence, and/or sexual content - do not proceed if you are not used to any of the above
> 
> ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
> 
> \- Lucifer - Lucius Danica, the last name means "morning star" (Slavic)  
> \- Lilith - Lillian Danica

“I’m expecting a call from one of our clients – if I’m not home by then, make sure you grab every single detail, alright?”

“Yes, Father…” Lucius agreed, watching him pack some papers into a suitcase before walking out the door. “And watch over your sister,” his father added, seeing him nod in affirmation. The then-15-year-old watched from a window as Mr. Danica drove away, leaving him standing alone in the manor’s foyer.

“Luci?”

He turned around to find his 8-year-old sister, Lillian looking back at him. “I missed Father again, didn’t I?” she sighed. “He was called to attend another important meeting,” Lucius explained, “I know it means he’ll be away for a few hours, but it’s necessary.”

“But he’s almost always never home.”

“I know.”

“He even forgot your birthday.”

“I’m aware.”

“Aren’t you mad about it?”

Lucius paused, partly-irritated that it wasn’t the first time their father had done that but also understanding and accepting it regardless. “That’s not important right now,” he stated, “Come on, let’s get some breakfast.” He led his sister into the kitchen and began rummaging through the cabinets, finding and opening a fresh box of their favorite cereal. “Want some fresh strawberries to go with yours?” he offered, smiling as she nodded excitedly.

…

Night came sooner than he expected. Lucius yawned and stretched, putting down a book he was reading earlier before getting off his chair to look out the window. _‘Seems Father will be home late. As usual,’_ he thought, turning to Lillian as she gently tugged at his sleeve. “I’m hungry,” she whimpered.

He looked at the clock and noticed it was dinner time anyway. “I’ll reheat our lunch from earlier,” he suggested, watching her skip happily towards the dining room. They were just about to eat some spaghetti when he heard the familiar sound of a car pulling up a few minutes later. “I’ll be right back,” he stated, leaving his sister as their father entered through the front door.

“I’m assuming the meeting didn’t end well,” Lucius stated as he studied his father’s bloodied clothes. “Turned out there was a snitch among them – had to cut ties and remove all witnesses,” Mr. Danica explained, “Got any calls like I said earlier?”

Lucius nodded and fished out a note from his pocket, handing it to his father. “Ah, good – seems we’re still in business after all,” Mr. Danica said, sighing in relief as he shed his blood-stained coat and blouse and reaching for a robe hanging nearby. Gathering the soiled clothes, Lucius quickly rushed from his father’s bedroom to the laundry room and threw them into the washing machine.

“I’ll take it from here,” Mr. Danica mentioned, “Head back to Lillian and once she’s put to bed, come to me – we need to talk.” Lucius nodded and walked back to the dining room, sitting down when he noticed his sister studying him. “What happened to your shirt?” she asked, seeing him look down at the smeared red stain on his chest. “Oh, I accidentally spilled some spaghetti sauce on myself earlier,” he chuckled, silently relieved she bought his lie.

…

“Luci, could you sing me a lullaby?” Lillian asked as he tucked her in. “Lilly, you know Father sings better than I do,” he replied, a blush tinting his cheeks. “But he’s busy – so I want you to sing to me instead,” she insisted, “Pretty please~?”

“Alright, alright…” he chuckled, “But don’t blame me if I don’t sound as good.” He reached over to grab a guitar their father had stationed beside her bed, and after checking to see if the instrument is still in-tune he cleared his throat while Lillian sat and listened expectantly.

_“It always feels so quiet in the dark  
It always feels so stark  
How silence grows under the moon  
And it’s always gone so soon  
I used to think that I was bold  
I used to think love was for fun  
Now all my stories have been told  
Except for one”_

He took a quick breath before he continued, his soothing voice slowly lulling her to sleep.

_“As the stars start to align  
I hope you take it as a sign  
That you’ll be okay  
Everything will be okay  
And if the Seven Hells collapse  
Although the day will be my last  
You will be okay  
When I’m gone you’ll be okay”_

Lilian yawned softly, snuggling into her pillow as she struggled to keep her eyes open wanting to listen a few moments longer.

_“And when creation goes to die  
You can find me in the sky  
Upon the last day  
And you will be okay”_

Upon playing the last note, a small smile graced his lips and he quietly placed the guitar back in its original spot; draped a blanket over her sleeping form. “Goodnight, Lilly…” he whispered, placing a chaste kiss on her forehead before silently leaving her room and closing the door.

He then made his way to his father’s study, placing a quick finger kiss on a framed photo of his late mother on the way. “Father, I’m here,” he greeted. “Luci, have a seat,” Mr. Danica offered, watching his son sit at the other end of the table. “When I was about your age…” he began, “Your grandfather – bless his soul – inducted me into the family business just as his father did, and his father before him. And now…I believe I should do the same for you.”

Lucius went pale. “Father, I’m honored but don’t you think I’m too young to join?” he pointed out, “I-I mean, I know Grandfather let you in but times have changed and -”

_SLAM!_

“Ngh…” the teen whimpered, looking away as though to avoid his father’s glare. “S-Someone has to watch Lilly,” he defended, “If Mother were still here, she -”

“Your Mother knew what she had gotten herself into – it’s also how we met anyway,” Mr. Danica cut in, “However, now’s not the time to reminisce what had happened to her. I’ve already made my decision, and starting tonight you will under my wing as the next heir to lead the Danican Clan.”

He nodded silently, knowing that once a decision is made there’s no chance at talking him out of it or having a say in the matter. “Now, follow me – it’s time to give you a taste of what you’d be getting into,” Mr. Danica added, leading his son through the manor and down a flight of stairs into a basement.

“Mmph!!”

Lucius gasped, recoiling at the sight of a battered and bruised man tied up and gagged on an old chair. “I decided to bring a live one as a training dummy,” Mr. Danica explained. He then unsheathed and handed his son a dagger, the blade gleaming in the dim basement light. “Pretend you’re doing an interrogation and he refuses to cooperate,” he instructed, “Show him you mean business by stabbing him in any non-vital part of his body. Your aim is to inflict pain and break his mind.”

“B-But Father -!”

“Lucius Danica, that’s an order.”

He gulped, walking towards the bound man as the latter looked back pleadingly. “I’m sorry,” he whispered, swiftly bringing the blade down onto his thigh and flinching slightly as he screamed. “Attaboy! Keep going!” Mr. Danica encouraged, “Make him beg to stop!”

“I-I can’t! Isn’t this enough?!”

“It’s never enough until you’re satisfied! But if you want this to be easier, then pretend that fucker hurt Lilly and he had no regrets about it!!”

Hearing that and imagining such a scene provoked him, and any guilt he felt earlier rapidly switched to unbridled rage. “ _Raagh!!_ ” he cried out, slashing and stabbing the bound man several times until he had blood sprayed all over himself. Lucius finally snapped out of it when the bound man slumped over, breathing his last.

_Clang!_

_Sniffle…sob…_

“Sh-Shit…” Lucius whimpered, shedding a few tears. “It’s alright, Luci – you’ll get used to it…” Mr. Danica assured, patting his son’s shoulder, “Now go take a shower and head straight to bed.” The teen immediately bolted up the stairs and into the bathroom, sobbing uncontrollably as he slid to the floor with his back against the door.

“Luci?”

His head snapped up as he heard Lillian on the other side of the door. “Don’t cry, okay?” she whispered, “I know it’s hard, but Father just wants the best for us – it’s what Mother would’ve said too.” He then heard her leave, hearing her bedroom door close. Drying his tears, he quickly stripped off and tossed his bloodied clothes into a nearby hamper and took a quick shower; put himself to bed once he’s done.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

10 years later…

Since their father had passed away recently, the Danica Clan had nominated Lucius as the new Don despite his age – their main reason being that he’s the only one who was well-trained and knowledgeable about the family business rather than honoring his bloodline. Lillian, who is now 18, became his right-hand girl and informant – although rumors were spread that he was actually just keeping his sister close to protect her.

“Lilly, we’ll be late if you continue to dawdle!” Lucius called up the stairs. “Coming, “Don Lucifer”!” she responded. “Stop calling me that name already!” he huffed, tapping his foot and stopping when she finally rushed down the stairs. “Hey, everyone calls you that – why can’t I?” she argued.

“It was a joke that Father started long ago – I honestly have no idea why that name stuck.”

“I still think it’s fitting anyway – you’re quite a _demon_ when it comes to torturing prisoners. Meanwhile I got stuck with “Lilith” just because some of the members kept forgetting my name.”

“Whatever, let’s just go.”

The siblings rushed out and jumped into the car, speeding down the road in an effort to reach the rendezvous on time. “There’s a shortcut on the next right,” Lillian informed, “After that, just a straight path to where we’re headed.”

“Are you sure? Last time you got us lost!”

“It’s not my fault there were a couple of streets that had similar names!”

Lucius was about to give a snappy remark when he noticed some cops up ahead, immediately slowing to a legal speed as he passed them. “That was close…” both siblings sighed, keeping the rest of their trip silent until they reached their destination.

“Ah…the infamous “Don Lucifer” himself – we finally meet,” a client greeted as Lucius stepped out of the car, “And I see you brought your little sister along – ain’t you afraid she’d get hurt?”

“Watch it, asshole – and I can look after myself, thank you!” Lillian snapped. “Did you get what I asked for?” Lucius inquired, watching one of the client’s lackeys bring out a briefcase and open it. “This is just half the payment,” the client explained, “The rest of it will be paid once the job’s done; double if you bring me proof.”

Lucius stroked his chin thoughtfully, weighing his decision. “Quite a tall order just to kill one man,” he noted, studying the client carefully. “That fucker kept escaping my clutches and recently I wasn’t able to get a hold of him – you’d want him dead too if you were in my shoes,” the latter stated. “Oh, one of these cases…” Lucius sighed, smirking as he continued, “If I have him eliminated by tonight, I want triple the payout.”

“Boss, I don’t think he’s -” one of the client’s lackey’s started, but was silenced as his boss held up a hand. “It’s a deal then,” the client agreed. Lillian reached out and grabbed the briefcase, both siblings watching as their client drove off before getting into their car. “Something seems fishy about this exchange,” his sister noted, “I’ll see if I can look up any other information about him.”

“You go do that,” Lucius said, “I’ll talk to the boys about the job.”

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Later that evening…

 _“The target should be in his apartment right about now,”_ Lillian informed via her earpiece, “Careful, he’s got bodyguards patrolling the building.” Lucius nodded and sent a few of his men ahead; moved in once he was given the all-clear. He had just reached the target’s apartment when he heard static coming from his earpiece before it abruptly cut out. Figuring something must be interfering with the signal, he kicked down the door and aimed his gun at -

…nothing. The apartment was completely bare and there was a cardboard cutout in the shape of a man placed at the window. _“_ _Lucius, get out of there! It’s a trap -!”_ Lillian warned, her scream being the last thing he heard before it was cut off. “Lilly?!” he screamed, turning around and rushing out – only to be smacked hard in the back of his head, forcing him to collapse.

The last thing he saw was a familiar pair of shoes before his vision blacked out.

…

“Luci! Luci!!”

Lucius groaned, slowly sitting up while rubbing his head. “L-Lilly…” he rasped, squinting as he tried to make out anything in the dark room he’s in. The moment he realized he was behind bars, he was suddenly wide awake and alert. “Lilly, where are you?!” he demanded, shaking the bars while frantically looking around. “Over here! Right next to you,” she responded, reaching out and holding her brother’s hand.

“That info I found earlier about our new client? It’s fake,” she explained, “That guy’s an undercover cop and that profile was put up to lure unsuspecting people like us into thinking they're legitimate clients.” She looked around, fearing they’re not alone. “I found a way to get out of this place,” she whispered, “But we don’t have much time, he’s gonna come back any -”

“Ah, you finally woke up.”

The siblings turned towards the owner of the voice, Lucius glaring at him while his sister fearfully clutched his arm. “Guess being a young Don isn’t as easy as it looks now, huh?” the cop snickered, “Seems your old man also didn’t tell you about me – or rather, he didn’t get a chance once I put a bullet through his head.”

“You bastard…” Lucius snarled. “Hey, if I wanted I could’ve already killed you both back there,” the cop continued. He walked close, noting how defensive the older brother looked as he neared Lillian’s cell. “Tell you what,” the latter offered, “If you kids help me in taking out every other crime family you have connections with, I’ll let you both off the hook and clear all your records.”

Lillian tightened her grip on Lucius’ arm, silently telling him to refuse. “And if we don’t cooperate?” her brother asked. “You could be facing life in prison; worse if it’s solitary confinement,” the cop added, “Your sister may be given a lighter sentence, but only if she completes a few favors for me. What do you say?”

They didn’t get to provide an answer as the cop was being called away at that exact moment. “That’s a tough decision indeed,” Lucius sighed, “If you don’t mind, I’ll need to discuss this with my sister; we’ll let you know once you return.” As soon as he left, Lillian immediately went to the back of her cell and pulled back the bed, revealing a hole small enough to crawl through. “I could sneak out and then climb back through the window,” she explained in a hushed tone, “They thought I was knocked out, but I heard some moron mumble the code to unlock your cell.”

“Alright, hurry and be careful,” Lucius whispered. He watched her squeeze through the hole and minutes later noticed the window being slid open, seeing Lillian climb back in and land with a soft _thud_ on her feet. “Ugh, dammit – fingerprint scanner…” she muttered, “Should’ve known it wouldn’t be that easy.”

“Look around – there must be something you could use to lift fingerprints with,” Lucius suggested. Lillian nodded and began rummaging through drawers – she found a half-empty bottle of baby powder and a brush. “Hope this works…” she muttered, dusting the scanner and then gently brushing off the powder. She then grabbed a scrap of paper and pressed it against the scanner, smiling triumphantly as the cover protecting the buttons opened up.

_Beep-beep-beep-beep-beep. Click!_

Lucius swung open his cell door and helped his sister back out the window before climbing through himself; stayed out of sight by crouching low and sneaking behind obstacles. “Think we could hot-wire that?” Lillian asked, pointing towards a police car. “It’ll be too obvious,” he argued, “But I have an idea.”

…moments later, they drove away in a stolen car they found in a nearby parking lot – when the police were alerted of their escape, they couldn’t catch up as every single tire happened to be slashed and deflated.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

“Gather everything you need, Lillian – we’re leaving in five minutes!”

“But where do we even go?”

“Anywhere but here – now hurry!”

Lillian nodded and rushed to her room, packing everything her bag could carry before rushing outside to dump it into the car’s trunk. Lucius did the same, running back and forth gathering important documents as he had already planned to escape the country – a “backup plan” Mr. Danica had reminded him about numerous times should a situation like this occur.

“Luci!!”

Lucius looked up as flashed of red-and-blue lights glared through the windows – the manor has been surrounded. _‘How did they get here so fucking fast?!’_ he thought, adrenaline rushing through his veins as he heard Lillian shriek from downstairs. “Let her go!!” he demanded when he saw the cop restraining her in a full Nelson hold.

“Give up, “Don Lucifer” – or “Lilith” gets hurt!” the cop demanded. Seeing he has no other choice, Lucius dropped onto his knees and puts his hands behind his head. “No…” Lillian whimpered as some police officers approached him. They were just about to cuff him when his sister kicked the cop in the shin, followed by pulling back his fingers as she freed herself. She then grabbed the gun from its holster and slid it to Lucius who caught it, shooting some officers in the face before ducking behind furniture for safety.

Lillian did the same and crouched as bullets were sent flying right above them. “Get to the car and leave without me!” Lucius demanded, popping up and ducking back down as he fired back. “I’m not leaving you!” she screamed back. “There’s no other choice! Go! I’ll cover you!” he shouted. He popped back out to shoot down some officers when he realized with a shock that he had run out of bullets.

_BANG! BANG-BANG!_

_SHRIEK!!_

“ _ **LILLY!!**_ ” he screamed, his distress giving the cops a momentary distraction to plant a bullet into his chest. “Cease fire!!” the cop ordered, watching Lucius slowly pull himself along the floor towards Lillian as the siblings bled from gunshot wounds. “L-Lilly…” he sobbed, “I’m sorry…”

“Don’t be…” she whimpered, blood leaking out of her mouth, “I’ll…tell Mother and Father…you said ‘hi’…”

She then slipped something into his hand before taking her last breath, dying as he watched. “It’s over, “Don Lucifer”…” the cop muttered, “If you had stayed back and cooperated, this wouldn’t have happened.” Lucius smirked and laughed menacingly, revealing a detonator in his hand. “ _ **See you in Hell!!**_ ” he snarled.

_Click. Beep!_

_KA-BOOM!! CRASH!!_

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

 _‘_ … _where…where am I?’_

Lucius sat up, finding himself in a forest. He then slowly stood up and checked himself, confused when he noticed he’s fully healed. “Lilly? Lilly?!” he called out, spinning around as he looked for his sister.

“She’s not here, I’m afraid.”

He spun around to find a couple of Demons walking up to him – one had red hair and tanned skin with a muscular build, his horns and wings gilded with gold at the tips; the other had green hair with long turquoise bangs, wing-like horns and a long forked tail.

“It’s alright, there’s nothing to be scared of,” the red-haired Demon assured when Lucius started to back away. “He had just woken up in an unknown place, Young Master,” the second Demon mentioned, “Perhaps some introductions will ease him.”

“Ah yes, you’re right – how rude of me,” the first Demon chuckled, “I am Lord Diavolo, Crown Prince of Devildom. This fellow standing beside me is my personal butler and close friend, Barbatos.” The butler nodded in silent greeting. “And you are?” the Demon Prince asked.

“I’m Lucius, heir to the Danican Clan…or rather, I used to be. I guess that doesn’t matter anymore since I’m dead,” he replied, scratching his head – and pulling back with a shocked gasp as he felt something hard. “W-What -!” he cried out, his hands feeling his horns as he began to panic.

“Calm down,” Diavolo said, walking towards and gently holding Lucius’ hands, “I know it’s strange waking up in a new form, but you’ll eventually get used to it.” He then gently led him out of the forest and into his castle; brought him to a guest room. “I have some matters to deal with first,” the Demon Prince mentioned, “Barbatos, prepare a meal for our guest here.”

Lucius was then left alone to explore the room, finding a mirror and almost taken aback when he saw himself – he was right about him having horns, but now he could see that he also has four large feathered wings on his back. _‘What’s this?’_ he wondered, poking a black diamond that sat in the middle of his forehead.

“Your meal is ready,” Barbatos announced, placing a tray onto a table. When he realized Lucius hasn’t moved from the mirror, he walked up and gently patted his shoulder. “Young Master will explain everything to you once he’s free,” he explained, leaving Lucius alone as he went to tend to some other duties.

…

It was then revealed that Diavolo had been watching Lucius during his time on the Human Realm until his death. “You were _stalking_ me?!” the latter exclaimed. “More like _monitoring_ you,” the former chuckled, “After all, everything you had done while you were alive guaranteed that you’d end up down here anyway.”

Lucius realized he was right – ever since he was 15 years old his father had taught him nothing but the Danican Clan’s methods for the family business, from torturing victims to murdering rival clans without remorse; on top of that, he was raised to believe that his clan is the most powerful compared to others.

“Normally any Soul guilty of whatever Sin they’ve committed would end up in one of the Layers of Hell – but you are a special case,” Diavolo explained. “What do you mean?” Lucius asked, being asked to hold up his hand in response. The Demon Prince snapped his fingers and a blue flame appeared on his palm, floating and flickering as they watched.

“You’ve been chosen by the Elders of Devildom,” the Demon Prince explained, “From now on, you will be referred to as **L** **ucifer, the Avatar of Pride**.”

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

A few weeks later…

Lucifer stretched and yawned, putting away his feather pen before standing up to look out a window. His new duties as the Avatar of Pride and being the Crown Prince’s right-hand Demon was daunting at first, but with Diavolo’s help he soon got used to it. As much as he doesn’t mind his new life, he felt lonely.

“Lucifer? Is everything alright?” Diavolo asked, slowly approaching him. “Everything’s fine, Lord Diavolo…” Lucifer assured, but he quickly noticed the Demon Prince isn’t convinced with his answer. “You miss her, don’t you?” Diavolo asked, seeing the latter sigh and nod.

“I missed you too, Luci…”

Lucifer froze as he recognized that voice; his eyes widened as he witnessed a pair of white wings unfurl and spread behind the Demon Prince. “I had to pull a few strings to get her to visit,” Diavolo chuckled, watching the Angel step out to reveal herself.

“Lilly!!” Lucifer cried, running towards and trapping his sister in a hug. “Lilith – I go by that name now,” she informed, the siblings pulling back to look at each other. “Funny how our “nicknames” turned into our actual names once we’re in the afterlife,” she giggled. “Indeed,” he chuckled, hugging his sister once more. “I thought I’d never see you again…” he whispered. “Me too,” she agreed, both of them shedding tears of happiness. Lucifer then looked up, mouthing a ‘thank you’ as Diavolo smiled.

“So…I’ve been given permission to spend a few hours with you – mind showing me around?” Lilith asked. Lucifer looked at Diavolo who nodded. “The paperwork can wait – go ahead and have fun with your sister,” the Demon Prince chuckled, watching the siblings rush out hand-in-hand.

They definitely have a lot to catch up on.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The song mentioned is "You Will Be Okay" - you may recognize it from Helluva Boss, Episode 2  
> \- Sam Haft (original): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5eJ0eN4OYxw  
> \- Caleb Hyles (cover): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PUllEnsZ5IM
> 
> Yes, I know the lyrics are slightly different based on the show and the cover, so I went with how it sounded in the original


	2. Martin Hanlon

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> \- Mammon - Martin Hanlon, the last name means "warrior" (Irish)

Martin impatiently tapped his fingers on a desk, engaged in a staredown with a gang leader. The two men are currently alone in the room as per a request from the former. “You ain’t working with no cops, right?” the latter asked. “Hey, I’m just trying to make things easier for my old man – trust me, you don’t wanna mess with him when there are guys _way_ behind their due payment,” Martin snapped back.

“What’re you talking about? We paid the cash up front just a few hours ago!”

“It’s several hundred-thousands short – I counted it twice.”

“Well, count again! That money ain’t easy to gather up.”

“And you think my job is easier? Just get the rest of the dough by tonight and we’re good.”

“I think I have a better idea -”

The gang leader then stood up, pulled out a gun and began shooting at Martin who dodged them immediately, chairs falling to the ground with a loud _CLATTER_. The latter then took out his own gun and shot back, firing just two bullets in rapid succession.

“ _ **GAH!!**_ ” the gang leader screamed, falling to the ground as his knees were shot through. “Nice try,” Martin huffed, walking towards him, “But didn’t anyone tell you that it’s a bad idea to outgun a Hanlon?” Reloading his pistol, he aimed it at the gang leader’s face. “I’ll tell your boys that they need a new boss,” he added, silencing him with a bullet between the eyes.

He then searched the corpse’s pockets and smirked when he found a note that held a safe combination; unlocked and cleaned out the cash before heading to his car outside. _‘Pops better be glad I got rid of that asshole,’_ he thought as he drove away.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

“I’m home!”

Martin waited for a response, sighing when he heard nothing. _‘Guess he’s working overtime again,’_ he thought, heading straight to his room and stacking handfuls of cash into a safe hidden in a wall. He was just about done when he heard the front door open and close, followed by a voice calling his name. “Up here, Pops!” he called out, quickly locking the safe and sliding the wall panel closed before casually leaving his room.

“Hey, what’s up!” he greeted, laughing as Mr. Hanlon playfully held him in a chokehold and gave him a noogie. “How’s my boy!” the latter greeted back. “Oi! Cut that out! You’re messing up my hair!” Martin protested, still chuckling as he was finally released. “Okay, serious question…” his father then stated, “Did you take care of that overdue payer?”

“He ain’t gonna bother us anymore – took care of that _and_ the asshole himself.”

“Any witnesses while you were there?”

“Alone with just him; made sure there wasn’t anything recording me while the exchange was going on.”

“Attaboy! You’re learning quick.”

_Ring-ring!_

“Could you get that? It’s probably work and I’ve had enough overtime for today,” Mr. Hanlon requested, seeing Martin nod and answer the landline. “Hanlon Residence – this is Martin speaking,” he answered as his father headed to his room, “Uh-huh…nah, Pops isn’t home yet. Sure, I’ll pass him a message.”

He quickly grabbed his cellphone and typed it into a notepad app while he listened. “Alright, got it. Anything else? Sure thing, take care!” he continued, hanging up the phone. “Okay, what was it about?” Mr. Hanlon asked as he approached his son. Martin showed him the note and cocked his eyebrow when he noticed a look of concern wash over his father’s face.

The message simply read: _“The Danicans have fallen. Ensure all ties to the Clan have been severed.”_

Martin watched as his father rushed to his study and returned with a handful of papers before tossing them into the fireplace, burning them all as he watched. “What’s that all about?” he asked, seeing his father turn to him. “Right…I suppose I haven’t told you much about the Danican Clan,” Mr. Hanlon replied.

“Not really – who are they?”

“They’re one of the biggest and well-known crime syndicates in existence. Last I heard, Lucius had recently taken over as the new leader of the clan after his father passed away – but if that message is true, looks like the Danican Clan has been taken down.”

Upon hearing that name, Martin couldn’t help recognizing it – he recalled a young man about his age being known for his “demonic” torture methods that there were times it grabbed the media’s attention due to the severity of them, leaving victims mauled to the point of being unrecognizable.

“And…what’s with those papers?”

“Dealings I’ve had with them over the years. There’s no doubt cops would be all over the place seeking out anyone who’s had connections with them.”

“You have _connections_ with those guys?!”

“Not anymore.”

Once Mr. Hanlon was sure all the evidence has been reduced to nothing but ashes, he walked up to his son and placed his hands over his shoulders. “Don’t say anything about this, alright? We have no clue who the Danicans are,” he insisted, seeing Martin nod in silent agreement.

…

Later that night…

Martin laid awake in bed, thinking about what had happened earlier today. He then reached over to his bedside table and picked up a framed photo – it showed him when he was much younger with his parents smiling in the background; they were at an amusement park. _‘_ _Was that the real reason why you left us, Ma?’_ he wondered.

Putting it away, he turned off the lamp and tried to get some sleep…but then eventually gave up, getting out of bed and changing out of his pajamas as he prepared to head out. “Just going for a late-night drive, Pops…” he muttered, grabbing his keys before heading out of the manor.

…

He didn’t know where he was going; all he knew was that he needed to clear his head. He also knew that his father has a tendency to keep a lot of information from him – most especially his mother who had just left one day and never returned; remembered that whenever he tried to bring her up, he was immediately shot down and threatened to not speak of her again.

“Aagh, this is so frustrating…” he growled, turning a corner and eyeing a jewelry store as he passed it. Feeling a sudden impulse, he parked a fair distance away before shutting off the engine and reaching into a glove compartment for a mask and a pair of gloves. _‘Always a good idea to wear black…’_ he mused, checking himself to ensure nothing would easily give him away.

Sneaking to the back entrance, he quietly picked the lock and got inside under a minute. _‘Jackpot!’_ he mentally cheered, greedily taking in the sight of sparkling accessories and precious gems gleaming in the dim light. _‘_ _Time to clean out!’_ he mused, stepping further into the room -

_WEE-OW! WEE-OW!_

_‘Shit!!’_

He hurriedly scrambled out of the store as the alarm continued to blare, jumping into his car and driving away just as police had arrived. _‘Hopefully I didn’t leave anything that’s gonna trace it back to me…’_ he thought, taking another route and ending up in an abandoned amusement park moments later.

Hopping over a rusted fence, he wandered around aimlessly as he reminisced old memories of dropping by as a kid. “Heh, used to ride this all the time – it looked way bigger back then,” he muttered, his fingers brushing away some of the dust covering the roller coaster seat. Feeling adventurous, he climbed onto the track and began walking along it; holding his arms out to balance himself.

“There you are.”

Startled, Martin slipped and fell to the ground in a crumpled heap. “This place is off-limits – you know that, right?” Mr. Hanlon reminded. “Hey, as long as there ain’t no cops it doesn’t matter,” Martin stated, standing up and brushing himself off, “How’d you find me anyway?”

“Figured this is one of the places you’d obviously head to – and the fact I was just informed about a random break-in at a jewelry store by one of my colleagues living in the area.”

“I-It ain’t me!”

“Martin, there’s no point in hiding it – you tried breaking into the same place about a month ago and wussed out when you realized the owner’s still there. What spooked you this time?”

Martin immediately pursed his lips and looked away out of embarrassment. “Let me guess – you had “no idea” they set up a motion-triggered alarm in there,” his father pointed out, “Didn’t I tell you that the first thing you need to do is -”

“Scope out the location and take note of any security systems before actually breaking in,” Martin stated as his father said the same thing. “Come on, it’s pretty late – and I got work in the morning,” the latter added, leading his son out of the amusement park.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

The next day…

“Alright, look a little more to the left as though someone’s calling you…perfect, hold that pose!” a photographer instructed as he snapped several photos, “Now make it look like you’re about to shrug off your jacket but stop halfway.” Martin continued to do as he was told – initially his father wanted him to drop his modeling job but eventually gave up when he continued to refuse. “Looks like we’re good!” the photographer then announced, “Same time next week?”

“You got it!” Martin agreed. As they’re wrapping up for the day, he took a peek at his phone and noticed his schedule is free for the rest of the day. _‘Guess Pops won’t mind if I drop by his workplace,’_ he mused. As he exited the studio, he was caught off-guard as he noticed someone idly waiting by his car. “Can I help you?” he asked, approaching the person.

“Martin, right?” they replied, “Your father sent me – seems he’s gotten into some kinda trouble.”

“What do you mean? What happened to Pops?”

“He’ll explain it better than I could. Now, come on – let’s go.”

…

Finding his father locked in a holding cell was the last thing he expected. “Pops, what happened?” Martin demanded, allowing his hand to be held through the bars. “Someone’s been keeping their tabs on me at work,” Mr. Hanlon explained, “Specifically, they had records of me taking bribes in exchange of providing false verdicts.”

That wasn’t much of a surprise, knowing his father had been doing so as he was growing up. “I had been given a couple of choices,” Mr. Hanlon continued, “I could choose to have my title revoked and be banned from taking up the position in the future, or I could serve whatever sentence they had planned.”

“And…which one did you go with?” Martin asked, stepping back as a police officer walked up and unlocked the holding cell. “You’re free to go, Mr. Hanlon – the higher-ups had already finalized your termination as of a few minutes ago,” they said, “We’re sorry to see you go like this.”

“It’s fine – I knew what I was doing and I knew it would come to this,” Mr. Hanlon sighed, picking up a crate containing his belongings that were taken out of his office. “Come on, Martin – I have no further business here,” he added, walking out with his son right beside him.

The silence was almost unbearable. “What’re we gonna do now?” Martin asked as he sat in the passenger seat while his father drove. “It’s alright – I already have a backup plan,” Mr. Hanlon assured, driving down a familiar road and stopping a fair distance away from the abandoned amusement park.

“This is your plan? You wanna head down memory lane?”

“That’s not it. I do have something to show you, though – follow me.”

Both men got out of the car and began walking through the park – rusted furniture, broken-down rides and vandalized kiosks surrounded them; served as vague memories to those who once loved visiting this venue in the past. After a few minutes of walking, they reached an old RV that was parked and cleverly hidden among some tattered tents.

“This is the real reason your mother left us,” his father stated, opening the RV door and stepping in. Martin was skeptical but followed anyway, and his eyes widened as he took in the scene – the inside of the RV had been modified into a Meth lab. “Wh -! Pops…” he gasped, realizing what was going on, “I thought you said you’re against this kinda shit!”

“That was a lie your mother and I agreed on,” Mr. Hanlon explained, “Then one day, she decided she wanted to live a clean life and asked me to give this up. I understood she was doing it for your sake, but I was too far gone that dropping this “side business” wasn’t easy – and when she saw this wasn’t happening, she just packed up and left.”

Martin couldn’t believe what he was hearing. His father – a now-former judge who was easily swayed by bribery – was running a Meth lab behind his back. “She even planned to take you away as well,” Mr. Hanlon continued, “We had a fight about it, but I won the argument after I revealed that you were already following a path of crime – I knew you were committing petty theft and hiding the cash in your room.”

“So that’s the reason why you got me that safe and even modified my room for it,” Martin sighed. “You’re my kid, and I know you’re gonna take after me one way or another,” his father stated, “After all, our bloodline thrives on the livelihood of committing crimes.” Placing a hand on his son’s shoulder, he showed him around the Meth lab and explained that this would be their main business from now on. “I’ll show you the ropes,” he finished.

“I dunno, Pops – this seems like a terrible idea,” Martin huffed, “But since you’re basically out of a job and I’ve already been badly influenced, I guess I could make this work.”

“That’s what I wanna hear!” Mr. Hanlon guffawed, “Alright, let’s get started.”

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

“Seems quite odd that your father wishes to transfer all his savings into your account upon closing his own – are you sure he has allowed this transaction?”

“I got the permission letter and all the documents you need right here,” Martin stated, handing over a folder and waiting patiently as the banker leafed through them. “He needs to be present in person in order to complete this,” they mentioned, “Should we try calling him?”

“He has other matters to deal with – isn’t his signature enough?”

“As I stated earlier, we need him physically present so we could confirm the agreement verbally.”

“And I mentioned he couldn’t make it – so is there a way we could make this work somehow?” Martin insisted, discretely passing the banker a wad of cash as he spoke. “After all, I don’t think he’d be able to just weasel out of a meeting with surviving members of the Danican Clan that easily,” he added, seeing the banker’s expression shift.

“I’ll have this done right away,” they assured, taking the cash and typing away at his computer. “There we go – all the funds are now in your account. However, please don’t mention I actually violated protocol…” he whispered. “My lips are sealed,” Martin whispered back, “Thanks for the help.”

He walked out and got into his car before dialing his father’s phone. “Spoke to the banker you told me to meet up with and got the transaction done,” he explained, “Good thing he didn’t suspect your signature looking kinda weird – I’m pretty bad at forging those.”

_“That doesn’t matter – I know that person had ties with the Danican Clan themselves. They may have been taken down but there’s no_ _confirmation_ _that_ _they’ve been completely_ _wiped out, so that would still give enough of a scare,”_ Mr. Hanlon explained, _“Now head back here ASAP. We’ve got a queue lining up.”_

…

The day passed quicker than they anticipated. “Business is booming!” Martin cheered as he leafed through wads of cash, “Sure beats shaking down losers being behind on their payments.”

“Can’t celebrate too soon, though – and you gotta make sure nobody else knows about this,” Mr. Hanlon reminded, stepping out once the last of their regulars had left for the day. “Relax, I’m positive nobody knows what I was doing at the bank today,” Martin assured.

“What was that you said about being at a bank?”

Martin froze and turned around, gulping as he was face-to-face with a cop. “I knew that former Judge Hanlon had dirty dealings, but to think his own son is responsible for his own crimes as well? I was hoping you’d be different, kid…” the cop mentioned, “Turned out the banker you spoke to ratted you out.”

“I thought you said everything was good,” Mr. Hanlon hissed. “I thought so too,” Martin whispered back, going pale when they were shown candid photographs taken from a nearby security camera clearly revealing him bribing the banker. “You’re pretty sloppy – and that’s good for us,” the cop snickered, “Now you could either come quietly, or -”

_BANG-BANG!_

“Martin, get inside!” Mr. Hanlon shouted, continuing to fire bullets as his son hurriedly rushed into the RV. “Get us outta here!” his father demanded, tossing him the RV keys. Just as he was about to start the engine, he heard a scream followed by a loud _THUD_. “ _ **Pops!!**_ ” he cried out, seeing his father bleeding heavily from a gunshot wound to the chest.

_SHATTER! HISS!!_

“Ah shit -!” Martin shouted, coughing hard and covering his eyes as tear gas began clouding up the RV. The last thing he saw through his blurred vision was his father realizing what was about to happen. “Martin, get out -!”

_KA-BOOM!!_

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

“Ugh…ow…”

Martin sat up, rubbing his head and keeping his eyes shut as he waited for the ringing in his ears to stop. He could hear someone speaking to him but it sounded garbled; slowly opened his eyes as the voice slowly became clear. “Are you alright? Can you hear me?” the voice said.

His vision finally focused and the first thing he saw were crimson-onyx eyes staring worriedly at him. “Wait…you look familiar…” Martin stated. “I don’t suppose we’ve met,” the Demon mentioned, offering his hand and slowly helping him to his feet.

“Yeah, but you were pretty notorious for what you did. You’re Lucius Danica, right?”

“Well, that _was_ my name – I’m referred to as “Lucifer” now.”

“Oh, so now you’re in the costume business – that’s weird. No offense, though.”

“None taken, and I’m not wearing a costume – because if so, I wouldn’t do this.”

As if to prove it, Lucifer reached and grabbed one of Martin’s horns and tugged hard. “Ow! Oi! Let go!!” the latter demanded, stumbling backwards before glaring at him. “What the fuck was that for?!” he ranted, “Are you trying to rip the skull out of my head?!”

“Before you say anything else, why not take a look around first?” Lucifer calmly spoke. Martin cocked his eyebrow and studied his surroundings – he realized the RV is nowhere to be seen; he’s no longer in the amusement park. He then remembered his father telling him to get out, followed by an explosion. “Oh no…Pops?!” he cried out, frantically spinning around looking for his father, “Pops, where are you?!”

“Hey, calm down!” Lucifer demanded, reaching out only to have Martin back away. “Stay where you are!” the latter demanded, “Where the fuck am I and where’s my dad?!”

Before Lucifer could say anything, Diavolo approached from behind and placed his hands on Martin’s shoulders. “Take a few deep breaths first,” the Demon Prince instructed, “Breathe in, and breathe out.” Once he felt the latter had calmed down, he gently let go and walked around so he’s within Martin’s line of sight.

“S-Sorry about that – I panicked…” Martin muttered, “So this shit is real, huh? That explosion killed me and I’m in Hell.”

“Devildom, but I suppose that’s what you Humans call it,” Diavolo chuckled, “Welcome, by the way.” Lucifer nodded, knowing he felt the same as Martin did when he first came to – though he didn’t freak out as much. “Is Pops here too?” Martin asked, seeing Diavolo approach him. “I could ask one of my subordinates if they could look for his Soul – so until then, why don’t you come with us?” the Demon Prince offered, “We’ll help you get settled in.”

…

Martin wasn’t sure how to react to his new form – staring at himself though a mirror, he noticed a thin pair of tightly-curled horns growing out the top of his head and a large pair of bat wings drooping behind him. “So…sorry if this sounds rude, but how did you die?” he asked Lucifer.

“Shot in the chest by authorities followed by blowing up the manor I lived in,” Lucifer replied nonchalantly. “Self-sacrifice, huh? And yet you’re down here,” Martin stated, “Also, didn’t you have a sister?”

“Lilith – and no, she’s not here right now. Her Soul’s considered to be pure – I didn’t corrupt her as much as my father did to me,” Lucifer explained. Both Demons then looked up as Diavolo approached them, a smile beaming on his face. “Lucifer, looks like the Elders have granted you a brother,” he stated, “Martin’s profile has earned him a title similar to yours.”

“What’s that supposed to mean?” Martin asked. “Let’s just say your actions when you were alive determine who you’re going to be in Devildom,” Diavolo replied, “From now on, you’ll be known as **Mammon, the Avatar of Greed**.”

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

“If he’s your brother, does that make him my brother too?”

“In familial terms, yes…in a way.”

“I don’t mind being called that, to be honest…” Mammon mentioned, letting Lilith play with his hair. “Anyway, am I expected to do stuff even though I’m technically a Demon Lord now?” he asked. “Obviously – our titles are not to be taken lightly,” Lucifer replied, “However, it may take some time getting used to it.”

“In that case, I think I’m gonna go explore – gotta get used to my new home eventually,” Mammon mentioned, standing up and walking out the door as they watched. “I don’t think he’s taking this seriously, Luci…” Lilith pointed out. He agreed, secretly assuming his new “brother” wouldn’t be troublesome.

…

He assumed wrong – moments after Lilith headed back to the Celestial Realm, he received word from Barbatos that he caught Mammon breaking into a jewelry store and then trying to peddle the stolen goods to unsuspecting Devildom citizens.

_‘He’s definitely going to be quite a handful,’_ Lucifer thought. Little did he know that this would be one of the numerous cases he’ll have to deal with in the coming future.


	3. Lamarr Caspian

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> \- Leviathan - Lamarr Caspian, the last name means "ocean" (origin unknown)

“For the last time, Dad – _I don’t want to be in the Navy!_ ”

“But it’s beneficial! Besides, all you ever do is stay in your room all day playing video games and watching cartoons -”

“ _ **Stop labeling anime as cartoons!!**_ ”

“Both of you, stop that right now,” Mrs. Caspian sighed, stepping between her husband and son, “Honestly, you two keep arguing about the same thing every time – just drop it already.”

“Well I can’t have a no-good useless shut-in for a son!” Mr. Caspian huffed, glaring at Lamarr as he added, “You better toss all that worthless shit in your room by tonight – or I will.”

“Fuck you and fuck off!” Lamarr yelled back, turning and stomping into his room before slamming and locking his bedroom door. “You know he won’t do it – that’s his entire livelihood you’d be taking away,” he heard his mother say. “Then he’s a disgrace to our Navy lineage,” his father muttered, “Where did I go wrong with this kid.”

_‘Well if you weren’t gone most days and actually spent time with us, I’d probably respect you more!’_ Lamarr thought, slipping on his headphones as he sat in his gaming chair. He picked a game and signed in, setting up a group and smiling as other gamers began piling in within seconds. He hadn’t noticed that a few hours had gone by when he heard a knock on the door; exited the game once he heard his mother’s voice.

“Dinner’s ready – and your father’s gone to train some newcomers so he won’t be around for a while,” she said. “As usual – that fucker’s never home,” Lamarr muttered, hissing as he got slapped upside the head. “I know that, but it just couldn’t be helped. Even now I’m wondering how I even ended up with someone like him in the first place,” she sighed.

He knew what she meant – when he was a kid he always thought having a Navy Admiral for a father was cool, but as he grew up he noticed his ugly side and didn’t want anything to do with him. “Let’s not talk about him, alright? Now, come on – I made you your favorites,” she chirped.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Lamarr couldn’t be happier when he heard his father has gone overseas for duty-related reasons. “Hey, Mom? I’m headed to the convention in the town center, okay?” he mentioned, chuckling as she fixed his hair and clothes. “Alright, have fun!” she giggled, giving him a chaste kiss on the cheek before watching him leave home.

This wouldn’t be his first time attending an event outside of his room – whenever his father was around, he’d either be lucky enough to escape undetected or be caught and forced to do some unnecessary training under his watch. _‘As long as he’s not around, I have free reign!’_ he mused.

He finally reached the convention center, beaming with excitement as he took in the sights – stalls and stores selling all kinds of anime and gaming merchandise were scattered across the venue; people cosplaying and/or taking photos could be seen everywhere he looked. Quickly scanning the schedule, he took note of the timings for each event he has planned to attend before dropping by a stall to hunt down limited edition items for his collection.

_‘No way! They actually have it!’_ he thought, eyeing a rare item through a store window before rushing into the store to grab it for himself – only to realize with dismay that they’re out of stock. “I had just sold the last one a few minutes ago – sorry,” the clerk mentioned, “But if you’d like, I could try ordering more and have a fresh batch tomorrow.”

“Actually…do you happen to know what they looked like?” Lamarr asked, relieved when the clerk described them with no hesitation; thanked him and rushed out the door to search for that patron. It didn’t take him long but before he could approach them, his eyes widened and his jaw dropped open when he realized who it actually was. _‘N-No way! That’s the VA for [anime / game character] themselves!’_ he thought, _‘I knew they’d be here but cosplaying and behaving as the same character they voiced? Holy shit, I gotta go ask for an autograph!’_

However, while his mind was made up his body refused to cooperate – so he stood frozen to the spot, still staring incredulously before turning away flustered. _‘Wait, if I approach them like this they’d see me as a weird and creepy fanboy…’_ he thought, _‘Gotta calm down a bit. M-Maybe a simple wave would be okay instead?’_

He looked back up but to his horror, they were suddenly gone. He then spent almost an hour looking around and even tailed excited fans hoping he’d catch them again, but before he knew it the convention was over and they were nowhere in sight. _‘Way to go, moron – you just lost your chance!’_ he scolded himself, feeling dejected as he headed back home.

…

Later that night…

“Lamarr, honey – try not to stay up so late this time, alright?” Mrs. Caspian requested as she ruffled his hair. “Just one more round, Mom – promise,” he insisted. As soon as she left him alone, he resumed his game and focused on defeating the game’s final boss. _‘Just a few more hits and I’ll be the first to complete this game with 100% perfect -’_

_“AAGH!!”_

_“Game over.”_

“Are you fucking kidding me?!” Lamarr screamed, hurtling his controller onto the bed. “Lamarr, tone down!” he heard his mother scold. Muttering a quiet apology, he decided to go for a walk to clear his head. _‘Guess today’s just not my day…’_ he mused. He had just stepped outside when he noticed a passerby walk past his driveway – and for some reason he couldn’t take their eyes off of them.

Looking up at a window and figuring his mother must’ve already fallen asleep, he decided to follow them. _‘Why am I getting drawn to this person?’_ he wondered, averting his eyes and/or pretending to be just another bystander to minimize suspicion. He eventually tracked them to a convenience store but felt he shouldn’t walk in after them, opting to wait in a nearby alley instead.

It didn’t take long for them to leave and before he realized what he was doing, he suddenly reached out and dragged them into the dark alley with one hand over their mouth and his free arm wrapped around their torso; struggled to hold them still while muffling their pleas for help.

_SNAP-CRACK! …thud_

_‘Shit…oh shit!’_ he mentally screamed, realizing he had just snapped their neck and their body is now laying lifeless before him. _‘Okay, okay – just gotta pretend it’s like that one game where I was a spy and had to eliminate a witness!’_ he told himself as he dragged the corpse further into the alley. He was about to toss the cadaver into the dumpster when he realized the reason why he followed them in the first place.

He noticed they have hands eerily similar to the cosplayer he saw earlier today…

…

“Lamarr, there’s a package for you!”

He quickly paused the anime he was watching and bounded out of his room, grinning as he signed his name and took a rather heavy crate from the delivery person. “Thanks!” he said, using his foot to shut the door and lug the box to his room. Mrs. Caspian peeked in out of curiosity and watched as he held up large bottles of UV resin as well as a curing light. “What’re those for?” she asked.

“It’s for a project I recently thought about,” he replied, “And it’s gonna be huge so I figured I’d need all of these.” He then gathered everything he needed and headed down into the basement, an excited smile plastered on his face. “It’s so nice to see you try something new once in a while,” she giggled, ruffling his hair when he came back out, “Just try not to get too carried away with it.”

“I won’t – I’ll make sure to take a few breaks in between.”

“Could you tell me what this project is about?”

“I can’t tell you – not yet. Think of it as a super-secret project that will only be revealed once it’s finished.”

“Alright, fair enough.”

Just then, Mrs. Caspian got a text stating that she’s urgently needed at her workplace. “Looks like we’re short-staffed again,” she sighed, “I’ll leave you some cash so you can order some pizza if I’m not home by then.” He nodded, watching her grab her belongings before rushing out the door. However, pizza is the last thing on his mind right now.

_‘Let’s get started.’_

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

A few weeks later…

_“In other news – additional reports of bodies being found with missing parts continue to be discovered every few days, according to local police. They have yet to discover the identity of the “Body Parts Snatcher” as they claimed they couldn’t find any evidence on the cadavers they had come across. The public has also been warned to stay indoors as a curfew has been arranged in order to prevent more victims being added to a growing list.”_

Lamarr felt a pair of arms hug him from behind and he turned his head to look up at his mother. “Whoever that is seems to be targeting people around your age, as per what my colleagues were saying,” she mentioned, “If anything were to happen to you…”

“Mom, I’ll be fine – you know I’m a fast runner,” he assured, smiling as she giggled in agreement. “Your project seems to be taking a while too,” she noted, “I also noticed you’ve been leaving home in the middle of the night a lot more than usual.” He visibly froze, raising her suspicion. “I’m seeing friends,” he explained, “I found a group of people who are just like me – they have a little clubhouse that we all head to for gaming nights and we even share tips and tricks for each other’s crafting projects.”

“If you say so,” she sighed, finally letting go of him, “I just want you to be careful – the “Body Parts Snatcher” is still at large.” He nodded, continuing to help chop vegetables for dinner. Seeing that he’s preoccupied, Mrs. Caspian decided to break her promise and sneak a little peek at his project in the basement.

_‘Surely one doesn’t need that much UV resin for_ _a single_ _project, right?’_ she wondered, turning on the basement lights and finding a large table in the middle of the room. She could barely make out the outline of what’s laying on top as it was covered with a thick tarp. She was just about to lift it when a hand stopped her. “Mom, no peeking…” Lamarr chuckled nervously, “It’s not finished yet.”

After politely escorting her out, he shut the basement door and strode back to his project with a serious look in his eyes. Pulling back the tarp, he grinned maliciously as he admired his work. “Almost finished…” he muttered, “Soon I’ll have the perfect companion – it’ll be like dating [anime / game character] in real life!”

He gently ran his fingers over the body parts he had collected, well-preserved in resin and attached together via screws and rods he had also ordered online as days passed. “I’ll make sure that you’re also aware that you’re mine – all mine…” he added, softly caressing their cheek, “Just need one last thing and I’ll -”

“What is going on here?”

Lamarr gasped and turned around, shocked to see his father behind him. “D-Dad, when did you get back?!” he stuttered, his hands failing to pull back the tarp to cover his handiwork. “Just now – and what’re you hiding back there?” his father demanded, walking over and shoving him aside when the latter tried to stop him. Mr. Caspian took one look at what he assumed to be a mannequin and stared back at his son. “Is this another new obsession of yours?” he prompted, “Are the toys in your room no longer entertaining that you had to create one of your own to satisfy your desires? Or is this something else I should be worried about?”

“Dad, I can explain -”

“Actually, no – I don’t want to hear it. However, I’m feeling generous enough to let this slide…on one condition.”

Lamarr didn’t like the sound of that but listened quietly anyway. “I’ve been commissioned to handle a new squad of trainees first thing tomorrow morning,” Mr. Caspian explained, “If you participate and finish the training as scheduled, I’ll let you keep this…giant doll of yours. What do you say?”

He felt as if he didn’t have a choice anyway. “Okay…I’ll go with you for the training,” Lamarr muttered.

“That’s what I’d like to hear!” Mr. Caspian gloated, “Now let’s go eat dinner and head straight to bed – we’re leaving before the birds get chirping!”

_‘I’ll come back for you, I promise!'_ he mused, letting his father cover up his project and lead him back upstairs.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Next morning…

“Move it, you maggots!” Mr. Caspian ordered, staring down at each of the trainees as some struggled to keep up while others looked like they’d rather give up at this point. Since Lamarr had been subjected to this behavior before – from being woken early to rigorous workouts – he had little-to-no issues with the exercises. “Keep moving or I’ll throw you overboard myself!” his father added – which reminded him of his current situation.

Apparently his father’s “training grounds” is located on a boat. A naval ship, to be precise.

_‘So this is what Dad meant when he said I should be far away from any kind of distraction,’_ he mused, glaring at his father before averting his vision when he was being looked at. After what felt like hours, Mr. Caspian finally let all the trainees rest and completely ignored them as they all collapsed into crumpled heaps on the deck.

“Private Lamarr – on your feet!”

Grumbling under his breath, he shakily stood up and half-limped beside his father as he led him to the bow; watched him lean against the railing staring out at the ocean. “I know you don’t wanna be here,” Mr. Caspian admitted, “And to be honest, I didn’t want anything to do with Navy either when I was your age.”

Suddenly interested, Lamarr leaned closer to listen. “Your grandpa was one strict motherfucker – but he was also one of the best Admirals to exist,” Mr. Caspian continued, “He used to come up to me daily demanding I go with him whenever he’s about to leave, and I’d always refuse; even fight back if I had to.”

“But then one day I was told he was killed in action – so to honor his wishes, that’s when I decided to join the Navy. Not gonna lie, it was difficult but I eventually got used to it. Then I met your mother and you came along soon after.”

Mr. Caspian looked at his son and patted his shoulder. “I initially promised myself that you’d be the first to not become part of the Navy and live a normal life, but somewhere down the line I broke it when I saw my colleagues bringing up their kids and I felt pressured to do the same,” he admitted.

Lamarr sympathetically placed his hand over his father’s. “If you told me this sooner, I wouldn’t have treated you as a jerk growing up,” he explained, “But since you were rarely home and all I had for company was Mom – besides anime and games – I always thought you’d rather be out at sea than with us.” He then looked out at the ocean’s lapping waves, admiring the view. “There were also times I assumed you found someone else and left us – and that’s usually when you’d be gone for months with no way to contact you,” he added.

“When your training’s over, I’ll see if I could be granted some days off so I could spend time catching up on everything I missed while I was away.”

“You can do that?”

“It’s possible, but not guaranteed. Just don’t feel down if they refused my request.”

“Well, seeing that you joined the Navy to honor Grandpa I don’t think I have the right to complain anyway. Besides, maybe I’ll eventually get used to this and become an Admiral myself – right?”

“If you put your mind to it, I don’t see why not.”

“Admiral, your presence is requested at the Bridge,” a Lieutenant stated. “Guess it’s back to work for me,” Mr. Caspian sighed, “We’ll talk more later.” Lamarr nodded and decided to explore the ship further, knowing he’d be stuck here until his training’s complete. He noticed some of the trainees playing some basketball but rather than asking if he could join them, decided to hang out by himself at the stern to admire the ocean for a moment longer.

“Dude, look out -!”

_SMACK!_ “AAH -!”

_SPLASH!!_

“Man overboard!”

Lamarr managed to surface, treading water as coughed and sputtered water out of his mouth. “Throw me a life preserver or something! Hurry!” he pleaded, swimming desperately as the ship continued to move along the water. One of the trainees threw the mentioned item at him but missed, his fingers barely brushing it as he tried to grab on. He then noticed he was actually getting pulled along a strong current, followed by a sound he unfortunately recognized.

_BRRR!!_

“ _OH SHIT -!_ ” he screamed, panic overriding his senses as he struggled to pull himself away from the naval ship’s propellers – but the more he tried the more he felt sucked towards it. “ _CUT THE ENGINES!!_ ” he heard his father demand, but he was too late.

_BRR -! RI-I-I-I-IP!!_

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

“Over there! There’s someone in the water!”

“I got ‘em!”

Mammon shrugged off his jacket and dove into the water before anyone could object, Lucifer holding back a concerned Lilith as they watched. Within minutes the Second-Born pulled an unconscious Lamarr out of the water and checked his pulse; began administering CPR.

_Cough! Cough-cough! Sputter!_

“Take it easy…breathe slowly…” Mammon instructed, keeping Lamarr’s head tilted back while carefully rolling him on his side. Lucifer immediately contacted Diavolo and briefed him on what had happened; shrugged off his coat and used it as a blanket to cover a shivering Lamarr. “It’s alright, you’re safe now…” the First-Born whispered, carrying him towards the House of Lamentation with Lilith and Mammon following behind him.

…

“ _GAH!!_ ”

Lamarr snapped awake, still feeling the ocean and the cold sting of metal on his skin before realizing he’s been laid on a couch with a fancy coat being used as a makeshift blanket. “What the hell?” he muttered, “What happened to me?”

“Well, you kinda got one part right.”

Startled, Lamarr fell off the couch before focusing his vision on Mammon. “Who the fuck are you?!” he yelped out in fear as the Second-Born strode over to reassure him. “Isn’t it obvious? You’ve done something bad and you had an unfortunate accident – so you could say you’re now in a “really warm place”…” he spoke gently, crouching close and reaching over to slowly rub Lamarr’s back in an attempt to calm him down.

“So…I’m dead…” Lamarr muttered, standing slowly and crossing his arms while Mammon backed away a bit. “Karma is such a bitch,” he sighed, “This is what I get for cutting off and collecting parts to make my own partner -”

“Wait, you did _**what**_?!” the Second-Born exclaimed, backing away from him even more in shock. The sudden reaction had Lamarr recoil in fright before he bolted, yelping as he tripped over something. When he looked to see what it was, he screamed when he realized it was a tail – _his own tail_. “What the fuck?!” the latter yelled, “Did I reincarnate into a fucking lizard furry?! What is going on -!”

_SLAP!_

Lamarr hissed, rubbing his sore cheek before looking up at Lucifer’s concerned crimson-onyx irises. “Luci, is everything alright? I heard screaming and -” Lilith called out, stopping a short distance away when she noticed Lamarr. “I’m sure this is all quite a shock to you,” the First-Born stated, “But if you’re willing to listen, I’ll explain everything.” He then offered a hand to him, smiling softly as he took it; helped him up.

…

Diavolo arrived not long after and the first thing he did was assess Lamarr’s Demon Form, much to the latter’s confusion. “The Elder Council told me that you’d be arriving soon, but not _this_ soon…” the Demon Prince stated. “Was what I did really that bad?” Lamarr asked, seeing him nod.

“You would’ve been sent down here either way,” Barbatos explained, “Based on what I had seen, your parents had discovered your dark secret and turned you in to the authorities, followed by execution via electrocution.” He further explained that after his untimely death, his father had arranged a “burial at sea” ceremony and all his belongings had been packed away.

“But it was an accident – I was knocked overboard and just happened to be close to those propellers. It’s not fair!” Lamarr claimed. “You murdered people and stole body parts to create some freaky life-sized doll – that’s the making of a serial killer right there,” Mammon argued.

“[Anime / game character] is _not_ a doll – it’s an action figure!”

“Okay – an “action figure” made out of assorted body parts. _Which you had stolen from murdered victims._ ”

“Stop repeating that! It was almost finished and would’ve been perfect if I had a little more time -”

“That’s enough,” Lucifer demanded. He then looked directly at Lamarr and added, “The point is that you’re as guilty we are – well, except for Lilith – so you might as well just accept your fate.” The latter sighed in defeat. “I just…need some time alone – this is a lot to process right now,” he said, leaving the room before anyone could say anything.

He had just stepped outside when he felt a pair of arms encircle him. “Please don’t go,” a gentle voice pleaded. He turned around to see Lilith looking up at him. “What’s an Angel even doing down here anyway? Aren’t you afraid of being corrupted or something?” he wondered out loud. “I’ve been given special permission to visit my brothers at least once a week,” she explained, “As for your second question, that hasn’t even happened so I’m not complaining.”

“Lilly, I know you don’t want to but it’s time for you to head back,” Lucifer stated as he walked up to them. “Aww, already? Can’t I stay just a little longer?” she pleaded. “I’d want that too, but Simeon’s waiting,” her brother said, opening a portal and seeing said Angel on the other side, “We’ll meet again next week – I promise.”

After sending his sister off, Lucifer looked over at Lamarr who seemed to have an envious look in his eyes. “You’re so lucky to have a sister like her – I never had siblings growing up,” the latter muttered as he looked away. He then allowed him to lead him back into the room where Mammon is chatting up a storm with Diavolo. “I trust you’ve had enough time to settle your nerves?” the Demon Prince asked.

“For now, I guess – it’s not like I got another choice anyway,” Lamarr admitted. “Good – because I had just received word from the Elder Council regarding your status here,” Diavolo mentioned, “It’s better if I show it to you in person – kindly follow me. Lucifer, Mammon, you’re welcome to join.”

…

Moments later, everyone’s standing atop a high cliff overlooking a beach. The sight of the lapping ocean below gave Lamarr uneasy flashbacks regarding his death, causing Mammon to hold him steady as he wobbled. “From this point on, I’m letting you take over,” Diavolo stated, stepping back and pushing Lamarr to stand before them, “Go ahead and whistle as loud as you could.”

“Whistle? What for?” Lamarr asked, his answer being given in the form of hand gestures insisting he should just do so. “Uhm…o-okay…” he muttered, facing the sea and placing his fingers into his mouth; took a deep breath.

_FWEET!!_

… _rumble…growl…HISS!!_

“W-Whoa -!” Mammon yelped, tripping and falling onto his ass while everyone else steadied themselves as the ground shook. Seconds later a gigantic 7-headed serpent rose out of the ocean, snarling and hissing as it was disturbed from its slumber. “Nope!” Lamarr yelped as he turned around, whimpering when Diavolo caught and held him in place. “Relax – Lotan won’t bite unless you provoke him,” the Demon Prince stated.

Lamarr squirmed and struggled to free himself but it was futile; before he could protest one of Lotan’s heads gently nuzzled him and he ended up staring at it curiously as it stared back. For some reason he felt as if he got a connection with this creature – and he proved it by extending one of his hands and smiling as he petted one of its muzzles. “Only a true Demon Lord with the ability to summon and control Lotan could do this,” Diavolo pointed out.

“If so, then why can’t Lucifer or I control that monster?” Mammon muttered, screaming as one of the heads suddenly picked him up and shook him around. “Lotan, drop him!” Lamarr commanded, chuckling when the Second-Born was tossed unceremoniously into the ocean. “Serves you right,” Lucifer snickered, smirking as the Avatar of Greed glared at him when he returned.

“That settles it,” Diavolo announced, patting Lamarr’s shoulder, “Welcome to your new home… **Leviathan, the Avatar of Envy**.”

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

A few weeks later…

“There you are – I’ve been looking everywhere for you,” Lucifer stated, finding his brother alone at the beach. Sitting beside him, he noticed he has a forlorn look on his face. “Look, I know being a Demon Lord is quite a heavy responsibility but -”

“It’s not that – I don’t mind the title, really. It’s just…” Leviathan cut in, sighing as he doodled in the sand. “I just miss home; everything I once knew and loved are all left behind,” he added. “That’s why I was looking for you, actually…” Lucifer mentioned, standing and helping up his brother. He then led him home where they found Mammon lugging a heavy crate into his room.

“Don’t say we didn’t do anything for you,” Mammon muttered, smiling when he saw Leviathan’s eyes light up upon seeing his possessions stacked in his room. “We couldn’t find that thing you were working on, though – it must’ve been disposed off already when your parents learned what it actually was,” Lucifer added. “I’ve expected that to happen – now if you’ll excuse me, I have to set everything up. I’ll be busy for a few hours…or a few days,” Leviathan mentioned, chuckling happily.

“You sure that was a good idea?” Mammon asked as they left him alone, “Seems to me he’s _that_ kinda guy.” Lucifer nodded in silent agreement. “By the way…” the latter added, catching his brother by his collar and fishing through one of his pockets, “Nice try.”

After giving Leviathan one of his prized figurines back, Lucifer went ahead to hang Mammon from the staircase as punishment for attempted robbery.


	4. Stan Ulysses

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> \- Satan - Stan Ulysses, the last name means "to be angry / to hate" (Latin)

“Of course, I could check if we still have that book in print.”

Just another usual day for Stan at his favorite workplace, the local library. Searching through his records, he then directed the visitor to the specific shelf where they would find the textbook they’re looking for. Seeing that business is quite slow at this hour, he decided to sit back and read through the news while quietly sipping some lukewarm tea at his desk.

The first item he noticed was an article summarizing Lucius Danica’s lifestyle before his untimely end. _‘Heh, at least he’s not gonna be a thorn in my side anymore,’_ he thought, knowing the Ulysses and the Danicans had been rivals ever since they were first established. _‘_ _He may have been removed from the_ _picture_ _but there’s still a possibility of surviving members being out and about,’_ he mused.

Turning the page, he scanned over Lamarr’s story and frowned upon learning that the young Caspian wasn’t as innocent as he appeared. _‘Suddenly having him buried at sea_ _isn’t_ _worth the trouble for_ _what he truly was – what a shame_ _…’_ he thought, recalling days when he’d gladly assist him in finding numerous mangas on a near-daily basis.

“Hey Stan, why don’t you go ahead and take the rest of the day off? We’re closing early anyway due to a corporate meeting.”

_‘They bumped it up a little early?’_ he thought, wordlessly shrugging it off and grabbing his stuff before clocking out.

…

“Shaitan, I’m home!”

_Pitter-patter-pitter-patter. Meow? Mew~!_

“There you are~!” he chirped, picking up and nuzzling his Egyptian Mau. “Who’s a good boy!” he greeted, chuckling as a paw playfully swiped at his nose. He then set both him and his bag down before fishing out a treat, smiling as Shaitan looked up patiently. “Sit,” he commanded, watching his cat obey, “Roll over…and play dead? Good boy!”

Tossing him a treat, Stan then petted Shaitan before proceeding to prepare dinner; prepared his cat’s dish as well. He had just seated himself when he heard a knock on the front door. _‘Who could that be?’_ he wondered, standing up and walking towards it when -

_BAM!_

The door was suddenly kicked in without warning, breaking the hinges as uninvited visitors rushed through and grappled a confused Stan. Upon recognizing a familiar family crest, he realized these were members of the Danican Clan. “You can’t just barge into private property without orders from your Don!” he argued, “And I heard he’s been executed!”

“Don Lucius may be gone but we Danicans will continue to thrive, even without him,” one of them calmly responded, “And he gave us orders that upon his passing, we’re to eliminate anyone that poses a threat to our clan.” He then unsheathed a dagger and teasingly dragged the blade across Stan’s neck. “This won’t hurt one bit,” he snickered.

_HISS! ROWR!!_

“What the -!” another Danican member yelped, screaming as Shaitan’s claws dug and scratched at his face. “Get that fucking furball!” the leader demanded, seeing one of his lackeys manage to grab the cat by its scruff. “Don’t you dare!” Stan pleaded, seeing the leader grasp his dagger, “ _ **NO!!**_ ”

_**ROWR!! ROWR -!** …thud_

“Heh, feisty little fucker didn’t stand a chance…” the leader muttered, dropping a now-lifeless corpse before Stan. Before he realized what was happening, the latter suddenly broke free and began attacking his assailants bare-handed. There was nothing but pure, unbridled rage in his eyes as he clawed, punched and snapped bones as he eliminated everyone in the room; saved the leader for last as he towered over the now-cowering intruder.

“Didn’t anyone warn you that once you anger a Ulysses it’s all over for the one who started it?” Stan snarled, picking up the dagger the leader dropped out of fear, “A shame you wouldn’t live to tell the tale.” He then pinned him and slashed his throat open, unfazed as blood spurted and stained him while the latter gurgled before finally succumbing to his fate, bleeding out on the floor.

“Shaitan…” Stan sobbed, silently petting his cat as he teared up. Quickly drying his tears, he quietly picked him up and headed to his backyard; prepared a shallow grave. After he was done mourning, a look of determination crossed his face.

“Those bastards will pay…”

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

The Ulysses were known for their quick flare-ups as well as their animalistic methods of killing and torturing victims. While some call them "barbaric" compared to the Danicans, it eventually led to their downfall as they had an uncanny habit of constantly letting their guard down when they least expect anything to happen.

Walking up to the clan’s estate, Stan had not expected he’d be returning home after declaring that he wouldn’t partake in any of his family business. “Father? I’m back,” he called out, every nerve within him on high alert as he looked and listened for any sign of his presence.

_Whoosh! Thwok!_

Stan ducked and barely dodged an arrow that flew past his head, crouching low as he listened for anything else.

_Whoosh-whoosh-whoosh! Thwok-thwok-thwok!_

Three more arrows flew at him but he moved quick, taking cover behind a table and finding a conveniently-placed bow and loaded quiver at his feet. “Two can play at that game!” he called out, loading an arrow and releasing it towards where he assumed his opponent was firing from.

Knowing it’s unwise to stay low in one location for too long, he rushed out and shot a few arrows to cover himself before ducking behind a more sturdy obstacle as he momentarily caught his breath. He then assumed his opponent ran out of arrows and rushed out, heading directly towards where he figured they would be.

_Click-whoosh-thwok!_

“Aagh!!”

He collapsed, hissing as a crossbow arrow went through his shin. Growling, he stood up despite the pain and was soon face-to-face with a smug Mr. Ulysses. “And here I thought you’d be sloppy after leaving us all those months ago,” his father snickered. “And I see you’re still up to your usual tricks, old man…” Stan responded, pulling out the arrow before tossing it unceremoniously to the floor as he bled out. “Is this your method of welcoming me back? Why am I not surprised,” he added.

“Stanny, you’re staining the carpet!”

“Hello to you too, Mother…” Stan chuckled. Half-limping to the living room, he propped his leg up on a coffee table and began treating his wound; remained unfazed even as the antiseptic stung him. “You were so determined to never return back then, so what made you change your mind?” Mrs. Ulysses prodded, seeing a forlorn look in her son’s eyes. “Let me guess…” Mr. Ulysses deduced, “It had something to do with your closest friend, am I right?”

Stan’s emotion switched from sadness to anger at the mention of it. “Those fucking Danicans just walked into my place _uninvited_ and -” he started, the rest of his sentence cut off as his mother patted his shoulder. “Say no more, we get it…” she muttered. “They’re quite the insufferable lot, aren’t they…” his father sighed, “Even with “Don Lucifer” gone, they’re still a thorn in our sides.”

He then stood up and walked out of the room; returned moments later with a man struggling in his arms. “I was saving this “live punching bag” for later, but looks like you need him more than I do,” Mr. Ulysses chuckled, seeing a gleam in his son’s eyes when he noticed it was a Danican Clan member. His mother then casually handed him a sledgehammer and smiled as he grinned maliciously. “All yours,” she chimed.

As soon as the man was released, Stan swung hard and hit the man square in the jaw; sent blood and some teeth flying from the impact. “Where do you think you’re going?!” he cackled, bashing the victim’s shins and ankles when he tried to run. Seeing him whimper in pain fueled his temper further and he went to town, smashing and breaking bones until the former has been reduced to a bruised, bleeding and mangled body on the floor.

“Please…have mercy…” the man begged, shedding hot tears and coughing up blood due to crushed lungs. “Shaitan wasn’t spared, so why should I?” Stan countered, towering over his victim and raising the sledgehammer above his head. “Oops -!” he gasped, letting the item slip from his fingers and snickering as his victim’s head got smashed in the process.

“Feeling better?” Mrs. Ulysses asked, seeing her son nod while still having a crazed look on his face. “And there’s plenty more for you to play with, if you’re up for it,” his father added, bringing over and spreading open a map showing certain locations encircled in red. As he explained that these were marked areas where the Danicans are known to loiter and/or hide out, Stan could feel rage and excitement bubble within him.

“Are you up for a little hunting?”

“You know it, old man.”

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

“Come on, boys – the sooner we clean out this place the sooner we’ll leave.”

“Are you sure this is what “Don Lucifer” wanted us to do even though he’s gone? We didn’t even receive news if we got a new leader -”

“ _I’m_ the leader until then – now shut up and keep looking for anything of value!”

“I thought you Danicans are more organized than this,” Stan mentioned, casually revealing himself from the shadows, “And what do I see instead? Some of Lucius’ lackeys scavenging from the remains of his destroyed estate.”

“Get lost, Ulysses – this ain’t your turf!” the stand-in leader demanded. “If I take you all out, will it be mine for the taking then?” Stan teased, smirking as his statement irked them. “I’ll take it as a ‘yes’…” he finished, dodging bullets as the Danicans shot at him. “Is that all you got?!” he taunted, momentarily exposing himself from his cover to land a bullet into one’s head before ducking back as more slugs _whooshed_ past him.

“Kinda weird for a Ulysses to fight alone, don’t you think?!” the stand-in leader stated, flinching as he witnessed one of his members get killed before him via an arrow to the head. “Who said I was attacking by myself?!” Stan snapped back, smirking as another received an arrow straight through their eye.

The fight was over within minutes, corpses of Danican members littering the ground as Stan and his parents stood over them. “What a waste of a once-beautiful home…” Mrs. Ulysses mentioned as they walked through, charred debris strewn everywhere.

_Crack…_

“Hm?” Stan mumbled, raising his foot as he looked down at a small framed picture. Picking it up, he brushed off the dust revealing a smiling Lucius standing next to a beaming Lillian as they held up what appeared to be Glocks. “Hmph, showoff…” he muttered, tossing the framed picture before continuing to explore.

_Clang! Shatter!_

“You hear that?” Stan asked, his eyes following where the framed picture landed. “A hidden floor safe – that’s interesting…” Mr. Ulysses stated, “A shame we don’t know the combination to open it.” He then watched his father crouch down and tap the metal with his crossbow, the resounding dull _clang_ indicating it to be too thick to cut through. “I would contact the Hanlons, but I heard they’ve perished in an explosion in some remote area,” Mrs. Ulysses mentioned.

Stan wouldn’t let this opportunity slip by and he placed his ear against it, slowly turning the dial back and forth as he listened carefully for muffled clicking. Eventually he managed to unlock and swung it open, coughing as dust flew up his nose. Once it has cleared, they noticed a set of stairs leading into a dark space below.

“After you, dear…” Mr. Ulysses offered, seeing his wife roll her eyes before using her cellphone’s flashlight to light the way. They soon found themselves in a large room lined with shelves along the walls. “So this is where they hid their stolen goods,” Mrs. Ulysses stated, noticing some of the items had labels on them dating to over 100 years ago.

_CLANG!! Click!_

“What the -!” Stan explained, running up the stairs and banging his fists hard against the now-locked safe door. As he demanded whoever is on the other side to let them out, a sudden loud explosion occurred just behind them and caused the ceiling to crumble to the ground.

_SHRIEK!!_

“Mother?!” he screamed, seeing her pinned under some rubble. “F-Forget about me – get out of here however you can!” she rasped, coughing up blood before succumbing to her injuries. Frantically looking around at his collapsing surroundings, he spied an opening large enough for one to crawl into and immediately rushed to it just as more of the ceiling collapsed. “Father, this way!” he called out, looking back only to notice a growing puddle of blood and his father’s arm sticking out from under the rubble.

_CRUMBLE!! CRASH!!_

_‘…okay…okay, don’t panic. Just move slowly and find a way out,’_ he told himself, crawling on his hands and knees while blindly feeling around. After what felt like hours, he felt a breeze blowing through and followed it to a small opening; punched and shoved away some loose dirt before pulling himself out and taking in a deep breath of fresh air. He then shakily wobbled to his feet and trudged back to the car; drove himself home.

…stepping back into the estate greeted him with an unwanted sight – bodies of Ulysses Clan members were strewn about, either as mutilated corpses or dismembered body parts. A quick search through his home revealed there were no survivors – and something within him finally snapped.

_‘So this is how they want to play? They’re gonna regret this.’_

He gathered everything he needed and drove away, leaving only a trail of bloody shoe prints and skid marks as he absconded before the authorities showed up.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

A few days later…

A hooded figure walked into a lively nightclub, his head hanging low as he ignored the crowd partying around him. “Apple Pie Cinnamon Cocktail – hold the ice,” he ordered, seating himself at the bar as the bartender prepared his requested drink. As he casually sipped his drink, his hearing focused in on a nearby group guffawing among themselves.

“At least we ain’t dealing with those Ulysses Clan shitheads anymore. Taking them out was too easy!”

“The Boss – God rest his soul – would be proud if he were still with us today. I’d like to propose a toast to honor “Don Lucifer” and his sister. Without them, we’d never be one of the greatest clans in existence.”

“Wherever you may be, this is for you!”

_Clink!_

Stan silently glared at them from a distance, still sipping his drink before asking for a refill. “I know this ain’t any of my business, but you seem to have some beef with those guys…” the bartender noted. “You have _no_ idea…” the former agreed, continuing to watch the group as he downed another glass.

Eventually one of them headed towards the bar to get some refills. “So…” Stan started as the bartender prepared the man’s order, “Sorry if it sounds like I’m eavesdropping, but I overheard that you had taken out the Ulysses Clan – did I hear right?”

“You got that right – they were a bunch of barbaric fuckers who’d rather just kill first and ask questions later. They got what’s coming for them though.”

“Oh really? What’s that?”

“Got rid of the boss, his wife, his kid, and the entire clan all in one night. Pretty big mistake just staying in one location with no security.”

“Are you sure that’s everyone?”

At the mention of that, the man felt a bit uneasy as he caught a smug grin on Stan’s face; the bartender noticed too and took it as a hint to leave immediately. “You didn’t answer my question,” the latter stated, “But then again, I think it’s quite obvious -”

_SLASH! Gurgle…_

“…that you missed one.”

Seeing one of their comrades getting their throat slashed open, the rest of the Danican Clan members dropped what they were doing and surrounded Stan as they armed themselves. “Guess nobody taught you the “double tap” method,” he jeered, clutching his dagger and in the blink of an eye rushed at one and slashed out his eyes before delivering a roundhouse kick to another that tried to lunge at him.

_BANG! BANG-BANG!!_

Stan immediately dove for cover as bullets whizzed past him, taking shelter behind the cocktail station before grabbing his own gun and firing back; managing to take down three more Danican lackeys. “Shit -!” he hissed when he ran out of slugs, opting to grab a bottle of Vodka and fashioning a Molotov Cocktail as he stayed low.

_Whoosh! Shatter!!_

_BOOM!!_

The resulting screams of agony gave Stan the confirmation that he managed to burn a few more, giving him the opportunity to rush out just as one of the Danican lackeys threw in their own Molotov Cocktail right where he was sitting just seconds ago. “Fucking stay still, Ulysses!!” one of them demanded.

“That would make it too easy – where’s the fun in that?!” Stan yelled back, reloading his gun before running back out and shooting down more of the gang members before diving back for cover again. Unfortunately he didn’t check behind him and screamed as one of them managed to stab him repeatedly from behind. “Nice try,” he hissed, grabbing and strangling his assailant in retaliation, “But I’ve suffered worse than that.”

_SNAP-CRACK!_

Quickly disposing of him, Stan ignored the blade still impaled in his back and continued to fight until there was one left. “The Boss was right that you Ulysses are a family of barbarians…” the latter said, “A shame we couldn’t team up – with a little discipline you’d fit right in.”

“That would’ve been nice _if you hadn’t killed them already_ ,” Stan snapped back, “And no thanks, I prefer to kill and ask questions later.” He then shot his last bullet between the Danican lackey’s eyes before slowly removing the knife from his back; ignored the pain as he proceeded to walk out of the nightclub.

“…ngh…mngh…”

He suddenly he felt weak, falling to his knees and eventually onto his side as his vision began to darken around the edges; rolled onto his back as his breathing began to slow down. His limbs felt numb and he could feel his body stiffen as minutes passed. He could then taste a hint of iron in his mouth – and slowly began to choke on his own blood. _‘At least…I died after exacting my revenge…’_ he thought, managing weak smile.

Accepting his fate, he drew his last breath as his eyes rolled back.

_…meow…_

_‘Shaitan…I’ll be seeing you soon…’_

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

“…he’s been out for a while. You sure he ain’t dead?”

“That’s a stupid question coming from a moron.”

“Oi!”

_‘What the…’_ Stan thought, slowly sitting up and immediately noticing he’s not laying outside in the streets anymore. “Oh hey, he’s up!” he heard someone say before seeing an eager-looking Mammon loom over him, “Hey dude, how you doing?”

“Mammon, give him a little space!” Leviathan scolded, pulling his brother back from a confused Stan, “Sorry about that – he gets a little excited seeing new faces.” The two boys stepped back as their newcomer slowly got out of bed and looked around. “Is this the afterlife?” they heard him ask, “Quite cozy, if I must say.”

Stan went to explore the room further and happened to see himself in a mirror, stiffling a yelp when he saw himself – polished scaly S-shaped horns had grown out the top of his head and a matching long tail that fades into a light green is wrapped around his right leg. “Hey, hey – don’t freak out…” Leviathan shushed, walking up behind him revealing his branched coral-like horns and long serpentine tail, “You’re one of us.”

“I’m a monster?” Stan blurted out. “Eh, I guess you could say that,” Mammon agreed, “Besides, the reason we’re here is because we fucked up as humans and this is what we get in return.” They all then heard voices reverberating from the hall – Lucifer has just returned and he brought Diavolo along with him.

As soon as they walked into the room, Stan took one look at one of the men and let out a low growl. “Whoa, hey – easy there!” Mammon shouted, but his words went unheard as he suddenly pounced onto Lucifer snarling like a wild animal. “Wh -!” the First-Born yelped, barely managing to catch Stan’s wrists and narrowly preventing his eyes from being clawed out.

“Oh dear…” Diavolo chuckled, watching Lucifer and Stan roll and tumble around on the floor as they wrestled for dominance. “Incoming -!” Leviathan and Mammon screamed, barely dodging a body being thrown in their direction. Stan got back up unfazed and continued to fight Lucifer, the pair exhibiting near-equal strength as they dealt and landed blows on each other. Eventually the First-Born managed to subdue the newcomer, pinning him onto the floor with both arms behind his back. “Fucking Danican – I’ll kill you again if I have to!” Stan barked. “Diavolo, please tell me there must be some sort of mistake,” Lucifer insisted, “I can’t have a Ulysses as my newest brother!”

“Me? As your brother? As-fucking-if!”

“Well it’s not my choice if the Elder Council had already decided that!”

“Fuck the Elder Council! And get off of me!”

“Typical Ulysses – all brawn and no brains -!”

“Excuse me?! I’ve had a Masters Degree and graduated quite early – don’t you dare slander my family name!”

“And I thought he was a good guy – guess that mild-mannered librarian is gone now,” Leviathan muttered, now remembering who he was. Taking the hint, Mammon helped Diavolo separate and distance Lucifer and Satan from each other.

“I know you two had a bit of a rough past, but that’s history as of right now,” the Demon Prince stated, “The Elders had already made their decision based on your actions.” Stan let out a huff and crossed his arms. “Fine, I’ll simmer down…” he muttered, “So, now that I’m pretty much a monster like the rest of them -”

“Demon, actually…” Diavolo corrected, patting his shoulder, “And not just _any_ Demon, mind you – you’re now **Satan, the Avatar of Wrath**.”

_‘Wrath, huh? Well, that does suit me…’_ he thought.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

_Whoosh!_

Lucifer caught an arrow just a mere inch from it piercing his temple while still sorting out some paperwork. “If you want to do some target practice, kindly take it outside – there’s a dense forest where you get an added bonus of getting lost while at it,” the First-Born mentioned, unfazed as Satan snarled at him. “It’s more entertaining if it’s a live target – I just happen to be looking at one,” the Fourth-Born argued.

“In case you didn’t notice, I’m busy.”

“You’re _always_ busy – either that, or it’s just an excuse to not spend time with any of us.”

“Well _excuse me_ , little brother – unless you’d want me to delegate my duties onto you, I suggest you leave my study. Right now.”

“Are you even “working”? Because I haven’t seen those paper stacks getting any smaller each time I stop by.”

“Must we go through this on a daily basis?”

“Oh _definitely_ – it makes my day seeing how far I could push you until -”

He didn’t get to finish his sentence as Lucifer suddenly chucked a large hardcover book at him, growling as the Fourth-Born caught it with ease. “Riled enough yet?” the latter taunted. _‘And there they go again…’_ Mammon mused as the unmistakable sound of items being thrown, shattered and/or smashed resonated from within the room.

It eventually ended with Lucifer kicking the door open – while accidentally slamming Mammon in the face – and dragging a squirming and still-seething Satan by his collar along the floor. “You’re going in time out with no dinner tonight,” the First-Born huffed, chucking his brother into his room before closing and sealing the door with a spell.

“That’s a little harsh, don’t you think?” Leviathan suggested, looking concerned as Satan began pounding his fists at the door while screaming a string of obscenities. “Just give him time to cool off,” Lucifer suggested nonchalantly, ignoring the slowly-splintering door as he walked away.

…

Satan eventually did calm down, and by the time Lucifer had returned he found him asleep in his bed by the window. Smiling softly, he looked at the bundle he carried in his arms. “Let’s reunite you with him, alright?” he whispered, gently laying the squirming bundle onto his brother’s chest.

The movement caused the Fourth-Born to stir awake; stared wide-eyed at a pair of familiar feline eyes. “Shaitan!” he exclaimed, chuckling and hugging his beloved Egyptian Mau. He then noticed Lucifer still standing nearby with his arms folded. “Why would you do this?” he asked.

“While it’s true I did order my men to eliminate anything and everything related to the Ulysses Clan whenever possible – even after my death – I didn’t anticipate them to take it that far,” Lucifer explained, “Consider this as a truce between us.”

Satan thought for a while, looking at Shaitan as he meowed at him as though saying he should accept it. “Fine…it’s a truce,” he agreed. _‘Maybe he’s not that bad after all…’_ he thought as he watched Lucifer leave him.


	5. Ashton Callista

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> \- Asmodeus - Ashton Callista, the last name means last name means "beauty" (Greek)  
> \- Implied sexual scenes (you've been warned) as well as Asmo x Solomon vibes mentioned in this chapter too

“Ash, we’re ready to go!”

“Coming!”

Ashton put away his phone and rushed over to where the photographer is. “Alright, I know this is your first big shoot but there’s no need to be nervous – just look natural,” they said. “Oh, then that’s easy – I do that all the time,” he chuckled, getting in position and pulling off poses that he had been requested. “Alright, looks like we’re all done for today – thanks for filling in on such short notice,” they said, “When I heard about what happened to Martin, I thought I’d lose my job since there was no other model like him.”

“Yeah, such a shame – but hopefully he’s in a better place, though,” Ashton agreed, his smile putting the photographer at ease. After arranging to meet up at the same time and place next week, he grabbed his belongings and walked out the door to find his roommate waiting for him. “Sorry it took a while. Were you waiting long?” he asked.

“Oh no, not at all – I just got here a few minutes ago,” Solomon assured, “Are we still doing lunch?”

“Definitely and in the mood for Italian today – it’ll be my treat.”

Even though Ashton had moved into town a few months ago, he always knew his long-time friend would always be around to support him. “I take it the shoot went pretty well?” Solomon asked, seeing an excited grin on his roommate’s face. “I’ve always dreamed of this happening and it finally did – I’m gonna be recognized as the next best model!” the former chirped.

“Isn’t it a bit soon to celebrate? You’ve only just started today,” Solomon chuckled, earning a playful punch to his arm. “You may be mature now but a part of you hasn’t really changed since you went abroad for college,” he added. “Keep going and I’ll make you pay for lunch instead – like I used to back then,” Ashton mock-threatened, both men laughing at that memory.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

“Hey Ash, dinner’s ready!”

Ashton looked up from his drawing tablet and smiled as Solomon brought him a plate. “I would cook something from scratch but somehow the stove isn’t working again,” the latter explained, “I’ll see if I could get someone to look at it tomorrow morning.”

“There’s no need to rush – and besides, while you kinda improved a bit on your cooking skills it could still use a little more work,” Ashton mentioned, “At least it’s better than the giant lump of coal you tried to feed me one time.”

“Aww, come on. My meatloaf wasn’t _that_ bad.”

“I’m also still wondering how you even managed to eat that, to be honest.”

“Okay, sure it was burnt but still edible.”

“I’m still going to teach you anyways.”

Solomon playfully rolled his eyes and set the plate down on a nearby table before leaning over Ashton’s shoulder to see what the latter’s working on. “Is this a new fashion line you’ve been commissioned to create?” he asked, “The colors seem to be clashing a little bit.”

“I know – but this is what the client wants, for some reason,” Ashton huffed, twirling his drawing pen before sketching a few changes into a shirt he’s designing. “At first they said they settled on a custom Hawaiian design, then they wanted to incorporate all the colors of the rainbow in it, and finally requested to have the colors in neon,” he added, irritation showing through his voice.

“Sounds like you could use a little break,” Solomon chuckled, seeing him silently agree as he put his drawing pen down; both men quietly enjoyed their dinner. “You know, I think I have the perfect plan to spice up your mood this weekend,” he added, seeing Ashton look at him with interest.

Showing him two tickets, Ashton’s eyes beamed when he realized what those were for. “How did you even get these? I heard they were all sold out!” he claimed. “I have a few connections,” Solomon snickered, “And besides, there’s no way I’d let you pass up an opportunity like -”

He didn’t get to finish as his roommate saved his work’s progress and rushed to his wardrobe, quickly leafing through to find the best outfit. “Slow down – the concert won’t start until 5 hours later,” Solomon chuckled, knowing his words would just fall on deaf ears anyway.

…

_“This is your_ _final_ _boarding call  
All aboard”_

Solomon hasn’t seen Ashton this excited since their high school party weekends. “Go, [Idol’s name]!” the latter cheered as he waved pink glowsticks over his head. Before he even realized it, he somehow managed to lose him among other excited fans. “Ash?!” he called out.

_“Pack your bags  
Sun’s out  
Take a vacay, babe  
Take it straight to bonetown_

_V-time, free time, baby relax  
Self care, no hair, Brazilian wax  
Horny up Succubus to the beach  
Catch some rays while catching some D”_

“Ash!!” he continued to call out, sighing in relief when he caught him sneaking in backstage. “Ash, let’s go – we’re not supposed to be back here,” he insisted as he attempted to tug his tipsy roommate away. “Isn’t she so beautiful…” the latter sighed, his eyes transfixed onto [Idol’s name] as she performed on-stage.

“She sure is. Now come on, before security catches us in here.”

“Am I beautiful, Solomon?”

That question threw him off. “If you believe so, then yeah sure…” Solomon responded, secretly hoping it’s just the alcohol talking. “Do you actually mean that?” Ashton muttered, “Or did you just say it so I would stop asking?”

_‘Definitely the alcohol,’_ Solomon thought, making Ashton face him as he huffed. “It doesn’t matter either way – to me, you’re always gonna be my best and closest friend,” he explained, chuckling as the latter suddenly hugged him tight. “You’re my bestest bestie too…” he sobbed, “I missed you so much when I was at college.”

“I missed you too…” Solomon agreed, taking this situation as a cue to pull him away just as a couple of security guards walked in. Seeing that Ashton’s about to pass out, he carefully laid him in the backseat before proceeding to drive them home – only to realize he’d just run out of gas half-an-hour later. _‘I hope they got some rooms available…’_ he mused, managing to push his car into an empty parking lot before heading up to the reception desk.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

“Ugh…ow…”

Ashton groaned as he rubbed his head and slowly sat up; looked around in confusion. _‘This isn’t my room…’_ he noted, looking over at the bedside table to find a note next to some pills and a glass of water. _“Gone to get some gas for the car – I left you some breakfast as well as some Ibuprofen. Be back soon!”_ Solomon wrote. He looked over and sighed in relief when he noticed it was a packed lunch that was bought from a nearby convenience store.

As he made his way to the table, he happened to catch a glimpse of himself in the mirror and did a double-take. _‘How much did I drink last night? Did I even get enough sleep?!’_ he thought, seeing dark circles under his eyes. _‘I gotta get rid of these quick – I have a photoshoot next week!’_ he mused, searching around the room for anything that could help him. He then heard the door open and instinctively covered his eyes. “Don’t look at me!” he shrieked.

“Ash, what’s wrong?” Solomon asked, walking up and gently pulling his hands away from his face. “I look hideous,” Ashton hissed, pulling away and turning his back on him, “It’s not your fault – I did this to myself.”

“It’s just dark circles – with enough treatment they should be gone in about 10-14 days.”

“Well I don’t have that much time!”

“You could also cover it up with makeup in the meantime.”

“I want them gone _now_.”

“Okay, calm down…” Solomon sighed, pulling his friend close, “You still have time – I’m sure they’ll be non-existent before you know it.” They then heard a text message come through on Ashton’s phone; the latter peeked at it – and immediately paled when he realized what it was about.

_“Sorry for the short-notice, but we have to bump up your photoshoot – my current availability is in 3 days and I’m booked the rest of the week. I promise to make it up to you in return.”_

Ashton panicked, pacing around the room muttering to himself. “Hey, hey, calm down…” Solomon insisted, pulling back and hugging him, “We’ll figure something out, alright? I can’t help if you panic.” The former nodded and took a few deep breaths; nestled his face into the crook of his best friend’s neck as he sobbed. “It’s gonna be okay…” he assured, stroking and patting his back.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

A few hours later…

Ashton and Solomon had tried and exhausted every option they could find, from natural remedies to beauty creams and even included strange methods the former had found online. “Nothing’s working – I’m doomed!” he whined, crying into his pillow. “I need a break,” the latter sighed, stepping out of his room and picking a book from a shelf before plopping into a couch to read.

He had just happened to pick up one that tells about macabre health rituals people had practiced in the past – and one of them caught his attention. “Interesting…” he muttered, not seeing a teary-eyed Ashton standing behind him. “What is it? Please tell me it’s something helpful,” he pleaded.

“Apparently there was this one Queen who bathed in blood to keep herself looking young.”

“Blood? That’s disgusting!”

“You’re the one to talk after smearing on just about every cream we got from the pharmacy. And anyway, what if this would actually work?”

He hesitated, mentally weighing his options before giving in. “Where are we even going to find enough blood to try?” Ashton asked, seeing Solomon smirk. “I have a few connections to get what we need,” he replied, “Unless you’re comfortable waiting around while I stop by the local meat market.”

…

Solomon eventually returned with several sealed buckets of blood, feeling somewhat sorry but also slightly amused at Ashton’s disgusted look on his face. “I’ll go ahead and prepare the bath,” he stated, seeing the latter head back into his room to grab his robe. He’d be lying if he said he doesn’t feel nauseated from the smell of cow and pig blood as it sloshed around and slowly stained the tub.

“I’m having second thoughts about this…”

He turned around to find a wary Ashton staring at the bloody bath. “Can’t knock it until we try it, right?” Solomon asked, stepping out so his roommate could have some privacy. _‘I can’t believe I’m actually doing this – Mom and Dad are already staring me down from wh_ _er_ _ever-they-are now,’_ he mused, hanging his robe before stepping into the viscous red liquid.

…he hated to admit it but it felt good, for some reason. _‘I guess I could get used to this,’_ he thought, leaning his head against the bathtub’s edge after smearing some blood under his eyes; went ahead and had a little nap as well. He was eventually woken up by Solomon walking in to check on him. “You seriously fell asleep in there?” he asked, one hand covering his nose.

“It’s quite warm and soothing,” Ashton explained, his turn to chuckle as Solomon looked away in disgust. “Anyway, make sure you scrub yourself clean before dinner,” he said.

“Hey, I don’t smell as bad as your own cooking.”

“I ordered out – didn’t feel like cooking tonight after the meat market visit.”

“Fair enough. Now if you’ll excuse me…”

Solomon had to hold back a gag as Ashton took a deep breath and sunk himself into the blood, completely submerging himself. The latter couldn’t help but mentally snicker as he heard him run out of the bathroom.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

3 days later…

“Solomon, I think we’re out of blood – think you can head out and get some more?” Ashton asked, seeing his roommate staring out a window. “I don’t think I can take anymore of this,” he heard him mumble.

“You mean gathering the blood? I know I said it’s disgusting but it actually is -”

“No, it’s not working – all it’s really doing is making you smell like a walking blood pack.”

“Hey, I made sure to shower well afterwards! And my skin honestly feels a lot smoother and those dark circles are so faint I could get away with just a little bit of concealer for my photoshoot today.”

“Yeah sure, keep telling yourself that.”

Ashton didn’t like that tone. “Solomon…are you mad at me?” he asked, walking close and wrapping his arms around his waist, “Do you want some attention? You know you could’ve just asked -”

“Hands off!” Solomon demanded, prying his arms away before glaring at a now-confused Ashton. “Where’s the Ash I liked hanging out with? Because it’s definitely not you right now!” he yelled. “I’m still me, dammit! What’s gotten into you?!” his roommate lashed back.

“I knew you were vain and I tolerated it as long as I had to, but I don’t think I can keep up with that anymore. I shouldn’t have told you about that fucking “blood bath remedy” since you’re spending way too much time with that!”

“It was _your_ idea in the first place!”

“It was a _suggestion_!”

“In that case, _you_ _ **suggested**_ _it in the first place!_ ”

“But _you_ got so carried away with it that it’s all you kept bringing up these past few days!”

“Well you’re not a model / fashion designer so you wouldn’t understand!”

Solomon huffed and crossed his arms before turning his back on him; Ashton did the same. “We need a break from each other,” the former then said, not seeing his friend look at him, “A few days, maybe a week. I’ve already booked myself a hotel room downtown just for that.”

“You’re leaving me here by myself?” Ashton asked incredulously, “Are you really that mad at me?”

The only response he received was Solomon wordlessly grabbing some luggage from his room and walking out the door; watched him from a window as he drove away. “Fine…” he grumbled, stomping away from the window and dropping face-first into the couch; sobbed quietly as his mind replayed their argument. _‘Solomon, I’m sorry…’_ he thought.

…

He hadn’t realized he had cried himself to sleep. By the time he woke up, he noticed there were missed calls and text messages from the photographer he was supposed to meet for his photoshoot today; frowned when he was informed that since he didn’t show up, he got another model to take his place. _‘Great, now I’ve let two people down – this isn’t my day at all,’_ he mused, getting up and stretching as he groaned.

His eyes then caught a book on the coffee table before him – he realized this was the book Solomon was reading a few days ago. Curiosity took over and he leafed through it, finding the same article his roommate happened to be reading that day.

_“…she felt as though her time is limited. In a desperate attempt to remain youthful, she had several young women arrive at her castle under the assumption that she had jobs for them as servants. However, one-by-one she had them slain and their blood collected in a bath – which she had then immersed herself into, claiming it rejuvenated her.”_

Ashton dropped the book as realization followed by rage overtook him. _‘That fucker didn’t say it had to be_ _ **women’s blood**_ _!’_ he thought. As he let the information sink in, a wicked smile spread across his face – which then vanished as he heard his phone ringing; noticed it was Solomon calling him. He didn’t bother answering it – instead, he’s more focused on [Idol’s name] singing that was set as his ringtone. Part of him then felt jealous as the thought of her looking as flawless as she is talented crossed his mind.

He felt he knew what to do.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

A hooded figure looked up at the hotel standing before him before casually walking inside; got himself a room and not long after had a call girl arrive at his door. “Hey sweetie, ready for some fun?” she asked, her skimpy clothing being almost see-through even in the dim room light.

“Sure, but I bet you’re kinda sweaty since it’s a little humid tonight – wanna bathe with me first?” he offered, smirking as she accepted. As soon as they settled into the water, he chuckled as she began teasing him by rubbing and nuzzling her body against him. “Really eager, huh?” he purred, hearing her giggle. His hands roamed all over her body as he growled sensually; made out with her while discretely reaching for a razor he had cleverly hidden earlier.

_Slash! Gurgle…_

Ashton grinned maliciously as the call girl clutched at her neck, desperately trying to stop the bleeding as she looked fearfully at him. Within minutes she breathed her last and bled out while he relaxed, sighing contentedly. After his bath, he then bundled up her body and managed to sneak out of his room; dug a shallow grave and buried her before silently sneaking back.

…

“Mm…”

Making out with a 2nd call girl, he slowly began undressing her before pinning her onto the bed. “You’re even more beautiful looking at me like that,” he purred, his hands caressing her curves. As soon as he got her moaning and screaming his name, he got her distracted enough to reach under the pillow before slicing her throat open; continued to thrust into her as she choked and died as he watched.

He then pulled out and dragged her corpse to the bathtub and proceeded to drain as much of her blood into it. _‘_ _Not enough – I need more,’_ he decided, grabbing his phone and requesting a couple more call girls to be sent to him. As expected, neither of them lasted long during their threesome and he soon had them leaning over the tub next to the call girl from earlier. Once he felt he had gathered enough blood, he immersed himself into the tub and cackled as he began bathing himself in their warm viscous fluids.

…

A week had passed…

“Ash, I’m home…” a tired Solomon greeted, looking around when he heard no response. “Ash?” he called out, leaving his luggage in his room before looking around the apartment. _‘_ _Maybe he’s gone to another photoshoot,’_ he assumed, dropping himself onto the couch before turning on the TV.

_“In other news, reports of missing prostitutes continue to rise and police are still unable to identify the killer. Forensics revealed that the killer had sex with his victims before and after they were killed, however had trouble with identification as the evidence was heavily contaminated. Attempts to contact any connections with the deceased had been unsuccessful as these women had little-to-no-connections with anyone outside of work.”_

_‘Don’t they have anything better to report than this?’_ he thought, switching channels before settling on one which revealed that [Idol’s name] had extended her tour and is currently staying at a hotel not far from the apartment. He then decided to try calling Ashton’s phone, concerned when his call is still going to voicemail.

“Hey Ash, it’s Sol – I’m guessing you’re still mad at me but I’m getting worried that I’m not getting through to you, so call me back as soon as you get this.”

_…ring!! Ring!!_

“Ash?” he greeted as soon as he took the call. “Sorry, but the guy you’re looking for left his phone behind – he checked out in a hurry too,” an unknown caller responded, “We also found some disturbing shit in here and the cops are currently looking into it.”

“What’re you talking about?”

“Apparently some of the guests had seen him behaving suspiciously and there were some odd-looking stains all over the bathtub. On top of that, he kept calling prostitutes each night but we never saw them leave.”

Solomon could feel his gut sinking as he listened, mentally linking the news report with what he’s hearing. “I-I think I know where’s he’s headed next…” he muttered, abruptly hanging up the call before rushing outside. Flooring the accelerator, he sped towards the hotel where [Idol’s name] is currently staying.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Meanwhile…

“Oh yeah, I was invited to do a photoshoot with [Idol’s name] tonight,” Ashton casually explained, “But I can’t remember her room number – is there any way you could help me with that?”

“Well, I need to call and confirm if she’s expecting any visitors first – with what’s happening as per the news we can’t take any risks here,” the receptionist mentioned. “Oh, that’s okay – I’ll handle it,” he insisted, reaching into his pocket for his phone only to realize he doesn’t have it with him. “I think I left my phone in the car,” he chuckled nervously, “I’ll be right back.”

He briskly walked out, nearly bumping into some guests as they made their way in. As soon as he felt he’s far away from the reception area, he looked around and found a tree with one of the limbs reaching a balcony on one of the floors. Deciding that he’d sacrifice soiling his clothes for the effort, he climbed up and barely made it before checking to see if anyone was inside.

Grasping the door handle, he smirked as he realized it was unlocked and let himself in. He then heard voices and quickly scrambled under the bed just as guests walked into the room – and he immediately recognized one of the voices.

It was [Idol’s name].

…

Solomon quickly parked his car and rushed up to the reception area, panting hard as he struggled to catch his breath. “I’m looking for someone,” he explained to a confused-and-concerned receptionist before giving a brief description of Ashton. “I just spoke to him a while ago – he just left saying that he’s gone to grab his phone from his car,” they stated.

“Any idea where he went?”

“He’s probably still in the parking lot. Do you need some water?”

He shook his head and ran out, frantically looking back and forth as he searched for his best friend. “Ash, where are you?!” he called out, desperately hoping he hadn’t already found another way inside. He was about to circle around to the back when -

_SHRIEK!!_

_‘Oh no…’_

…

“Fucking hold still!” Ashton hissed, pinning [Idol’s name] facedown onto her bed while drenched in the blood of her security guards who he had managed to kill earlier. Undoing his belt, he used it to tie her wrists onto her back before grabbing a fistful of her hair; pulled her up while holding a razor blade against her throat. “W-Why are you doing this…” she sobbed, “I didn’t do anything to deserve this!”

“I know…” he purred, “And don’t worry – I’ll make sure this would be quick and painless.”

_SLAM!_

“Ash, no!!”

Ashton glared towards a familiar man standing at the door. “Back the fuck off, Solomon – I need this!” he claimed, still holding the razor against [Idol’s name] neck. “No, you don’t!” the latter argued, “You never needed anything to look flawless anyway – now put that down!”

“Then why the fuck did you suggest that fucking ritual anyway!”

“I was trying to help you – but now you’re taking it too far!”

“You even lied to me!”

“I had to! If I said what blood was actually used, I know you’d do anything just to -”

“Wait, you _knew_?” Ashton reiterated, his still-seething rage mixed with shock. “I’ve known you for so long, Ash…” Solomon explained while cautiously walking closer, “You’d do anything to maintain your flawless look – even if that meant murdering innocent victims.” He then reached out, his fingers inching towards the blade.

_Slash!_

“Aagh!”

Solomon clutched his hand, hissing as pain coursed up his limb. He didn’t have much time to react as Ashton suddenly pounced on him, barely managing to stop his crazed roommate from stabbing him in his face. “Is that what you really thought of me?!” the latter screamed, “You honestly thought I’d go around killing women in the name of beauty?!”

“You already are!” Solomon snapped back, kicking him off before following through by pinning him down. Before he realized what he was doing, he grabbed the razor and in one swift motion stabbed it directly into Ashton’s chest; pierced through his heart.

“Guh…u-ugh…”

“No…no no no…” Solomon whimpered, pulling out the razor blade before caressing Ashton’s face as the latter smiled weakly. “I…I deserved that…” he rasped, slowly reaching up to wipe a tear from one of his best friend’s eyes, “Don’t cry…you did the right thing…”

“Ash, I’m sorry – I didn’t mean to -!”

“It’s okay…at least…you don’t have to…w-worry about me anymore…”

“J-Just hang on! Don’t die on me!”

“I can’t, Sol…I’m…s-sorry too…for everything…”

“Ash? Ash!!” Solomon wailed, watching his eyes roll back before his head slumped to the side. “No…” he whined, sitting up and holding his limp body close as cops rushed in and surrounded them. He was then pulled away, cuffed and shoved into a police cruiser as he cried sorrowfully.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

“Hey, are you alright?”

Ashton slowly opened his eyes, seeing a concerned Lilith looming over him. “I am now…” he responded, one of his hands gently caressing her cheek. “What’s a cutie like you doing out at a time like this?” he asked, his gentle smile never leaving his face. “I should be asking you that – and you’re right in the middle of a flower field,” she replied, seeing him chuckle.

“Of course I look cute, even among a bed of flowers – why wouldn’t I be?” he said, seeing her blush slightly. He then sat up and looked around, intrigued at his new surroundings. “I shouldn’t judge but I thought Heaven would be a lot brighter,” he noted, looking confused.

“That’s because you’re not in Heaven, obviously.”

He looked up as Satan approached them, helping Lilith up. “You must be the newcomer,” the Fourth-Born said, “Come along – we’ve been expecting you.” As the three of them walked through the forest in silence, Lilith couldn’t help but sense Ashton studying her with interest. Sensing her discomfort, Satan moved himself between them while discretely shooting him a glare.

“Hey, I could go both ways – totally open for a threesome, so there’s no need to be jealous,” Ashton snickered. “Tempting, but no thanks – I don’t “swing that way”,” Satan snarled.

…

Lucifer didn’t need an explanation when Lilith immediately ran to his side upon coming home. “Aww…she’s a shy one, isn’t she?” Ashton giggled. “Would you stop flirting with her already? She’s clearly uncomfortable from the moment you laid eyes on her,” Satan huffed.

“They always say the shy ones are also the best in bed.”

“Didn’t you hear me? Or do I have to literally knock some sense into you?”

“My, my – there’s no need to be so aggressive.”

“Luci, he scares me…” Lilith whispered, her dainty hands clutching her brother’s sleeve. ““Lucy”? Well, isn’t that adorable!” Ashton gushed, failing to see the First-Born’s glare. “That’s it, I’m gonna -!” Satan growled, being stopped when Mammon held his shoulder. “I got this,” the Second-Born muttered, approaching Ashton as the latter looked back at him.

“Well, well…if it isn’t newbie model / freelance fashion designer Ashton Callista himself. What did you do that brought you down here?” Mammon snickered, unfazed as he got glared at. “Great, just when I thought I didn’t have to see your smug face again…” the latter snarled. “Wait, you two know each other?” Satan asked.

Mammon explained that back when he was still alive, Ashton was someone he had commissioned some clothing designs from. “It ain’t that bad, but since he was just starting out I cut him some slack,” he added. “You also didn’t pay me my fees back then – not to mention you kept giving lame excuses whenever I reached out to you,” said the latter.

“Hey, we had an agreement that I’d pay half and then pay the rest once you were done!”

“Then explain why you also kept ghosting me as well?!”

“I was busy, alright? Everyone’s got their own lives to live!”

“Yeah sure – “busy” conning others into forking you wads of cash while I had to work my fucking ass for it!”

Lucifer had conveniently covered Lilith’s ears as the two continued to bicker, flashing an apologetic smile in her direction. _‘And I thought an angry Satan is all I had to be worried about,’_ he thought, finally seeing the two stop when the mentioned Fourth-Born and Leviathan separated the two before punches could be thrown.

“I take it they’re somewhat getting along?” Barbatos noted as he and Diavolo walked in. “If by that you meant “about to rip each other’s throats at first sight”, then yes,” Lucifer sarcastically remarked. “Well, hello there handsome~!” Ashton greeted, “I’ve seen muscular men but not one as well-kempt as you.”

Diavolo chuckled. “Why thank you,” he responded. “Dude, you don’t just _flirt_ with the Demon Prince himself!” Leviathan whispered, regretting his choice of words when Ashton perked up hearing his title. “So I assume you’re the “boss” of this world then?” the latter went on, “In that case, what’s my punishment now that I’m here?”

“The usual is having your Soul being sent into one of the Circles of Hell for all of eternity,” Diavolo casually explained, “But like the rest of them here, you’re another special case.” He then placed his hands on his shoulders and made him face everyone in the room. “Meet your newest brother – **Asmodeus, the Avatar of Lust** ,” he announced.

“Wait, why Lust?” Ashton asked, regretting his question when Barbatos nonchalantly narrated his last actions before his death. “Geez…I knew you were vain but to really go that far? On those innocent call girls too?” Mammon muttered. “So you’re basically Bloody Mary 2.0,” Leviathan added, seeing his new brother laugh sheepishly.

He then realized something. “Hold on – if he said I’m your newest brother, then won’t that mean…” Ashton trailed off, blushing as hard as Lilith once he grasped the fact that he was flirting with his new sister. “I am so…so sorry…” he muttered through clenched teeth, looking away in embarrassment as Lucifer chuckled.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

It took Asmodeus a few days to settle into his new life as a Demon. While he’s grateful to have older siblings to guide him if needed, a part of him still felt empty as he thought of the one person who cared about him even during his last moments. _‘If only I could see him just one last time…’_ he thought.

“There you are.”

Asmodeus turned around to find Solomon standing a fair distance from him with a sad smile on his face. “Sol…” he breathed, running towards and trapping his best friend in a tight hug. “Are you dead too? Please tell me you’re not,” he mumbled, feeling his back being stroked.

“I’m not the type to commit suicide, Ash – you know that,” Solomon chuckled, pulling back so he could look at him. “Aren’t you supposed to be mad at me?” Asmodeus asked, “You even killed me because of what I did.”

“True, I murdered you – but since it was ruled as self-defense and I prevented an actual crime from taking place, they let me off the hook after keeping me in a holding cell for an hour.”

“That’s nice…I guess.”

“It wasn’t that bad, honestly – though it feels weird coming home to an empty apartment recently.”

“…how did you get down here anyway?”

Solomon’s smile faltered and he looked away, barely stifling a sob. He then revealed an Archaic rune carved into his left forearm. “I missed you so much, Ash…” he explained, “So I willingly sacrificed a part of my own Soul in exchange for immortality and well as becoming a powerful Sorcerer – just so I could see you again.”

“Even though I’m a Demon now?” Asmodeus muttered, tearing up as well. The two then embraced in an emotional hug, one holding the other tight as though trying to not let either of them go. “You really are the bestest bestie I ever had,” he sobbed.

“Ditto, Ash…ditto…” Solomon agreed.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The song mentioned is "Vacay to Bonetown" by Sam Haft - you may recognize it from Helluva Boss Episode 3  
> \- https://youtu.be/hqpDK8EtDvA


End file.
